Putin's Show of Strength Triggers Fear of Fresh Nuke Arms Race

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com



1//The Scotsman, UK Mon 26 Dec 2005

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=2459162005



PUTIN’S SHOW OF STRENGTH TRIGGERS FEAR OF FRESH NUCLEAR ARMS RACE

Fraser Nelson, Political Editor



Vladamir Putin has sparked fears of a new arms race between Russia and the United States by deploying a nuclear ballistic strike force system that officials made clear could penetrate US anti- missile defences.



On Christmas Eve, the Russian army activated a new fleet of Topol-M missiles that can fit a nuclear warhead and travel 6,000 miles, changing trajectory to foil any enemy interception device.



The accompanying hawkish rhetoric of the Russian military commanders and the frenetic response of the US navy have stoked concern that the former Cold War adversaries have quietly resumed the arms race.



General Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of the Russian missile forces, has mobilised a new battalion for the Topol-M missiles, which have a capacity for a one megatonne impact - 75 times the power of the 1945 Hiroshima bomb.



Gen Solovtsov, a critic of US anti- missile defence technology, said the Topol-M missile "is capable of piercing any missile defence system" and is immune to electromagnetic blasts used by current US anti-missile systems.



While Russia had disbanded two missile divisions last year, it has now formed more than 20 new units - in the fastest increase of nuclear spending since the run-up to the Cuban missile crisis.

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[NNN0LHI]

1. No it can't be true. Reagan won the Cold War years ago. CNN told me so n/t

[Oversea Visitor]

2. Bush trigger arm race

that is the reality today

[BillZBubb]

3. What did people expect when Idiot Boy broke the ABM treaty?

That Russia would take it lying down? American sheeple are so stupid it hurts.

[Gloria]

4. Further irony-the story goes on to report that Ukraine, after all

of it's breaking away from Russia's sphere (and not withstanding the current energy impasse) now wants to be under Russian protection when it comes to nukes...!!