#7 You're stuck in the 1990s, Aris. Different world now: NATO's eastward expansion has pretty much ruled out any neo-soviet threat to western Europe. Tyrannies in the other basket-case FSU dominions suck, I agree, but let's be realistic here: the Baltics, Pol-Cz-Hun are free and protected; Estonia's firmly ensconced in the EU. That alone is an extraordinary achievement. But we also have Romania and Bulgaria under NATO protection, with US bases, which means there simply is no entry point for a revived Russian tyranny to attack or intimidate Europe.
We'll never sort out the Caucasus mess, and probably won't see anything like democracy in Central Asia for another generation or more. Big deal. The keys here are twofold: containing Iran, and halting nuclear etc proliferation. Everthing else regarding Russia is secondary. |
Al Qaida has embarked on a strategy to procure a nuclear weapon -- preferably from a former East Bloc state. A leading CIA veteran said Osama Bin Laden has sought a nuclear weapon on the Russian black market. The veteran said Bin Laden's goal was to detonate the nuclear weapon in the United States. "He always said it was a religious obligation for Muslims to have the same weapons as their enemies," said Michael Scheuer, former director of the CIA team that has been searching for Bin Laden. "He has clearly said that he would use it. He doesn't intend it as a deterrent. It is going to be a first strike weapon."