Russia threatens US,says it will target Europe

Russia's President Putin gave a chilling warning to the US , saying that he would have his military aim its missiles at Europe if the US went ahead with its missile defense plans in Europe and Israel.

What Putin is upset at is an American plan to place an Israeli made `Green Pine'radar system in Czecholslovakia and interceptor missile systems in Poland, Czecholslovakia, and possibly Georgia, as well as the planned integration of American and Israeli missile defense systems.

The system is designed to protect the West from possible attacks by Iran or North Korea,and perhaps Pakistan if that goes Islamist.

Putin said neither Iran nor North Korea have the rockets that the system is intended to defend against and that its real target was Russia.

"We are being told the anti-missile defense system is targeted against something that does not exist. Doesn't it seem funny to you, to say the least?" an irritated Putin told foreign reporters days before he heads to Germany for a summit with President Bush and other leaders of the Group of Eight.

Of course, we could also mention that Putin and Russia have a significant investment at stake, especially in Iran. They could care less about the rest of Europe, and especially not about Israel.

And in part, Putin is entirely correct that the missile defense system is partially intended to keep Russia in check. In view of Russia's bullying tactics towards the rest of Europe,the last thing Putin wants to see is part of the old Soviet Empire with the capacity to resist Russia's imperialism and rapaciousness.

Russia is an historically imperialist and aggressive nation, and they have never gotten over the humiliation of having to give up their empire.

Putin complained that the proposed system "changes the entire configuration of international security."

"If this {the US curtailing the planned missile defense system} doesn't happen, then we disclaim responsibility for our retaliatory steps, because it is not we who are the initiators of the new arms race which is undoubtedly brewing in Europe," Putin said.

"The strategic balance in the world is being upset and in order to restore this balance without creating an anti-missile defense on our territory we will be creating a system of countering that anti-missile system, which is what we are doing now," he added.

Not only that, but our `friend' Putin said that Russia would target US bases in an interview published in Italy's Corriere della Sera on Sunday.

When he was asked whether the planned U.S. missile defense shield would compel Moscow to target its own missiles on U.S. military sites and other locations in Europe, Putin replied, "Naturally, yes."

"If the American nuclear potential grows in European territory, we have to give ourselves new targets in Europe," he was quoted as saying. "It is up to our military to define these targets."

Putin, of course is singing an old tune from the Soviet repetoire...threaten a new arms race in order to get the European communists and their fellow travelors among the `peace at any price ' crowd and the Angry left out on the streets protesting.That may not be as effective in Eastern Europe as in places like France, Britain and Italy.The Poles and Czechs and the other nations in Eastern Europe we freed know the Russians pretty well, especially what it's like to be under their thumbs.

As for Putin's threats, they are likely as empty as the old Soviet ones were. The last thing Russia can afford is a contest with the US right now.

The White House had no comment Sunday on Putin's remarks, or on Russia's upping the ante by testing a new ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and, as Putin claimed, of evading US missile defense systems.

Last week, Bush invited Putin to the old Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine on July 1-2.Perhaps the current occupant of the White house wants to - umm - take another look into Putin's soul, or something.Or hopefully, remind him that threatening the US is not helpful and could entail serious consequences, as the diplomats say.

This is what happens when you partially defeat an enemy and leave the basis for them to rebuild their military intact.

When George Bush Sr. inherited the victory over the Soviet Empire that Reagan engineered, he could have easily made some demands about Russia dismantling its nuclear arsenal and some of its military industrial structure in exchange for all that financial aid the Russians wanted and desperately needed.Had Bush Sr. done so, Russia wouldn't be building Iran's nukes, and they certainly wouldn't be making threatening noises towards us and the rest of Europe.

But I guess that would have been too simple.