Putin resumes cold war bomber flights & shuts BBC Moscow

[acrobat74]

Feels like a countdown, doesn't it?

I wouldn't like to be in Tehran now.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/16/wrussi a116.xml

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2277998.ece

[TonyGosling]

Deadly serious stuff.

Nor would I like to be in Washington. The Iran Contra 'crazies' running the White House - see today's Pilger news piece - and their EU/NATO allies appear hell bent on kicking off world war three this Autumn.
They will be putting the final touches to their deep underground bunkers this weekend.
And an economic crash will oil the wheels of chaos as they put the final touches to their coming 'order'

Russia suspends arms control pact
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6898690.stm

Russia says that the CFE treaty has become "meaningless"
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended the application of a key Cold War arms control treaty.
Mr Putin signed a decree citing "exceptional circumstances" affecting security as the reason for the move.
Russia has been angered by US plans to base parts of a missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
The US said it was "disappointed" by Russia's decision but would "continue to have discussions with them in the coming months" on how to proceed.
The 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) limits the number of heavy weapons deployed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Urals mountains.
The Russian suspension will become effective 150 days after other parties to the treaty have been notified, President Putin's decree says.
'Cornerstone'...... [which is a freemasonic term as well as its dictionary definition] (continues here)

What the Telegraph article neglect to mention: Russia sends warning to the West
By Jonathan Marcus
BBC diplomatic correspondent
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6898897.stm
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives at the hotel where the 119th International Olympic Committee Session on 4 July 2007.
President Putin wants Russia to be treated as an equal by the US
President Vladimir Putin's decision to suspend Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe, or CFE, treaty is a potent political signal. [But absolutely nobody, it seems, can be bothered to listen as we slide relentlessly into a very real military confrontation that could escalate in a matter of hours - TG]

[Rowan Berkeley]

"If Russia feels as though they want to take some of these old aircraft out of mothballs and get them flying again that's their decision," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. He was commenting after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia would immediately resume long-range strategic bomber flights on a "permanent" basis, ending its 15-year suspension of such missions.

[Rowan Berkeley]

Herewith the official English-language translation of President Vladimir Putin's announcement Friday of Russia's decision to resume strategic bomber patrols after a 15-year hiatus:

"In 1992, the Russian Federation unilaterally stopped sending its strategic aviation on long-range patrols. Unfortunately, not everyone has followed our example and other countries' strategic aviation continues patrols to this day. This creates certain p roblems for the Russian Federation in ensuring its security."

"In response to this situation, I have decided that Russia's strategic aviation will resume patrols on a permanent basis."

"At midnight, today, August 17, 14 strategic missile-carriers, support and refuelling aircraft took off from seven air force bases in different parts of the Russian Federation and began a patrol involving a total of 20 aircraft. As from today, such patro ls will be carried out on a regular basis. These patrols are strategic in nature. The aircraft involved in today's patrol will spend around 20 hours in the air, with refuelling, in coordination with the navy."

"The patrols will take place above all in areas where Russian Federation shipping and economic activity is most active."

"We hope that our partners will show understanding towards the resumption of patrols by Russia's strategic aviation."

"Our pilots have spent too long on the ground. We have strategic aviation but it spends practically no time in the air. Flights took place now and again only during large-scale military exercises, and as you know, we have held very few such exercises ove r the last 15 years. As I said, our pilots have spent too long on the ground. I know that they are happy to now have this chance to begin a new life and we wish them luck."

http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=242655&n=25


White House plays down Russian move to resume long range bomber flights

CRAWFORD, Texas (Thomson Financial) - The White House on Friday played down Russia's decision to resume long-range strategic bomber flights, saying it saw no threat to US security and that the decision was "not entirely surprising."

"We have very good working relations with the Russians, with the Russian
military," said national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe, adding that the move was "an internal decision" by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Asked whether the patrols posed a security threat to the United States,
Johndroe replied: "I don't think our military has those concerns about it."
His comments came after Putin announced Russia would immediately resume long-range strategic bomber flights on a "permanent" basis, ending its 15-year suspension of such missions.

The announcement came days after Moscow said its strategic bombers had begun exercises over the North Pole, and just a week after Russian planes flew within a few hundred kilometers of a US military base on the island of Guam. afp/mb -

http://orange.advfn.com/news_White-House-plays-down-Russian-move-to-re sume-long-range-bomber-flights_21931727.html

[Disco_Destroyer]

Anti Terror drill or more likely a demonstration of Joint operations?

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/18/content_6555793.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/18/content_6555861.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/14/content_6531993.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/17/content_6547374.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/17/content_6551438.htm

[acrobat74]

I guess soon we'll know how determined the money changers are to 'set all in motion and all in flames'...

[Disco_Destroyer]

Hopefully they are not that stupid, maybe that is the reason Bush Senior broke down sobbing in public all those years ago?

Anyhow this story may skirt controversy but call me stupid if this is not a direct attack on US/UK running the UN?