While a 95% reduction in US and Russian nuclear weapons would have no significant impact on the national security of either country, some national security shibboleths die harder: Missile defense continues not to work and is a huge waste of money!
Gorilla says: “When the shells are lobbed at the front door, it’s good for the contractor, not so good for the homeowner!”
As has been obvious for some time, Russia’s not terribly interested in new sanctions against Iran.
In fact, they’re going ahead with building a nuclear plant in Iran.
And it appears that a bilateral deal to scrap nuclear weapons will be contingent upon what happens to the US missile defense program, as well as what happens with Iran.
President Obama’s hosting a “nuclear security” summit next month and it was hoped a new US-Russian treaty would be ready. Now, it’s not so clear.
Negotiating with the Russians these days is not easy. They’re still adjusting to the loss of influence that accompanied the collapse of the Soviet Union, and therefore seize on any opportunity to demonstrate they must be taken seriously. Russia is at best a regional player in the world diplomacy game, the Chinese clearly are the big boys on the block.
The US is also adjusting. Missile defense remains nothing more than a Pentagon jobs program; it should have been scrapped long ago. Isolating the Russians won’t make Eastern Europe less wary of them. Not cutting a bilateral deal with Iran means years of waiting in vain for the Russians and Chinese to care.
Gorilla thinks: “Bilateral baby steps are the only way forward, multilateral approaches are fine if you like lowest common denominators!”
A missile shield in Romania, an angry bear in Moscow!
It’s difficult to understand the strategy behind US policy. What are we trying to accomplish with missile defense?
On the one hand, missile defense doesn’t work.
On the other hand, the alleged missile attacker is Iran, despite there being no evidence that Tehran wishes to engage in national suicide by lobbing a few bombs at Euroland.
On the foot, the Russians, who remain a far more serious problem for European interests, feel surrounded, thus justifying their very lukewarm approach to American proposed sanctions against Iran.
Gorilla asks: “How are we free with SM-3?”
