Bullpucky. A fistful of stealthy SSBNs in the North Atlantic, Arctic Ocean, and Pacific are all that's needed for a major strike on Mother Russia. Poland and the CR are a minor major distraction for the easily distracted. It is they whom Russia seeks to employ in its major rhetorical defense. Funny to watch the parade already starting to re-form. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Ah. Another of those pesky hyphens. Maybe they're compelling, maybe they're not. Another suggestively secretive, pointed innuendo. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I don't consider this to be too much of a shock or too terrible of a thing to happen. Russia is clearly just flexing their geopolitical muscles in yet another sphere of influence they don't want the U.S. becoming prominent in. Since 9/11, the United States has (whether they like it or not) become the chief protectorate of Central Asia essentially in exchange for the use of bases (geographically this is a "trench" region for the War on Terror -- think Tajikistan's 750 mile border with Afghanistan). The natural resources in this area are vast and Russia cannot be happy about playing second fiddle in the post-Soviet space it once controlled. I can only imagine they have similar feelings about the U.S. moving in on yet another door step.
Except that they are there at the request of NATO's newest members, and they AMAZINLY aren't on any Russian soil, so I don't get what they are whining about, except that it gives Putin more ammunition to rant on TV about how "the Yankees are coming... the Yankees are coming!" ~String
