HAVANA - Ailing Fidel Castro said Wednesday that Cuba's president was right to adopt a "dignified silence" over a Moscow newspaper report that Russia may send nuclear bombers to the island, and said Cuba doesn't owe any explanation to Washington about the story. In a brief, cryptic essay posted on a government Web site Wednesday night, the 81-year-old former president neither confirmed nor denied the Monday report in Izvestia newspaper. Moscow is angry about U.S. plans for missile-defense sites in eastern Europe and Izvestia cited a "highly placed" military aviation source as saying, "While they are deploying the anti-missile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic, our long-range strategic aircraft already will be landing in Cuba." Izvestia said this apparently refers to long-range nuclear-capable bombers.
In a brief, cryptic essay posted on a government Web site Wednesday night, the 81-year-old former president neither confirmed nor denied the Monday report in Izvestia newspaper. Moscow is angry about U.S. plans for missile-defense sites in eastern Europe and Izvestia cited a "highly placed" military aviation source as saying, "While they are deploying the anti-missile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic, our long-range strategic aircraft already will be landing in Cuba." Izvestia said this apparently refers to long-range nuclear-capable bombers.
Russian officials Russian military experts are recommending reactivating a radar facility on Cuba in response to US plans for a missile defense shield based in the Czech Republic and Poland, according to news reports. Alexander Pikayev of the Institute for World Economic Sciences was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying a facility closed down in 2001 in Lourdes, Cuba, could be put back into service. The reported proposal follows a warning Tuesday by a top US Air Force general that the deployment of Russian bombers to Cuba would cross a "red line" and the United States should urge its former Cold War foe against taking the step. Russian media had earlier reported the military was also weighing whether to reinstate a Cold War practice of resuming bomber flights to Cuba or deploying them there.
Alexander Pikayev of the Institute for World Economic Sciences was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying a facility closed down in 2001 in Lourdes, Cuba, could be put back into service.
The reported proposal follows a warning Tuesday by a top US Air Force general that the deployment of Russian bombers to Cuba would cross a "red line" and the United States should urge its former Cold War foe against taking the step.
Russian media had earlier reported the military was also weighing whether to reinstate a Cold War practice of resuming bomber flights to Cuba or deploying them there.
US concerned at possible Russian military presence in Venezuela - RosBusinessConsulting - News Online
RBC, 24.07.2008, Moscow 12:59:50.Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's proposal that Russia set up a military base in Venezuela, combined with information released this week on the possible deployment of Russian bombers in Cuba, may provoke an overly negative reaction from the US, the RBC Daily newspaper reported today. Washington may fail to understand the intricacies of Moscow's diplomatic game, in which Russia seeks to receive an additional trump card in an attempt to decide in its favor the issue of the deployment of US missile shield elements in Eastern Europe.
The Neo-Cons and other fools currently running US foreign policy think they can do anything they want, when they want, without repercussions or 'emergent' counter-actions.
Russia is providing a Learning Experience.
Oh, that always ends well... "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
Russia has been saying from the git-go if the US put anti-missile batteries in Eastern or Central Europe there would be consequences.
Rice, et.al. told them to go play with it.
Now they are showing what they can do. Restocking the air bases in Cuba, and possibly putting a military presence in Venezuela, is exactly the reaction predictable: a Tit-for-Tat strategy under Two Player Game Theory.
That said, you don't want Russia teaching you a lesson. No fun. "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
