AssemblyBoard

Whenever I read something like this I have to ask the question,

                 Now that our military is are over extended, how will it play out in the world political arena? Will we find ourselves in a legitimate war? One that we will suffer dearly for because of Mr. Bush's stupid unnecessary war?



July 14, 2007 10:52 AM EDT
MOSCOW - Russia on Saturday suspended participation in a key European arms control treaty, saying it will halt NATO inspections of its military sites and no longer limit the number of its tanks and other heavy conventional weapons.

The move, threatened for months, was likely to strain relations with the West, already tense over U.S. plans to build a missile shield in Eastern Europe and other issues.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree freezing Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, citing "extraordinary circumstances ... which affect the security of the Russian Federation and require immediate measures," the Kremlin said in a statement.


Russia in the West are already at odds over U.S. plans to build a radar site in the Czech Republic and missile interceptors in Poland, Russia's conflicts with its neighbors, including Georgia and Estonia, and Western criticism of Russia's democracy and human rights record.

The treaty, between Russian and NATO members, was signed in 1990, a time when Soviet and NATO troops faced another in Central Europe. It was amended in 1999 to reflect changes since the breakup of the Soviet Union, adding the requirement that Moscow withdraw its forces from the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Georgia.

Russia has ratified the amended version and had slowly moved to withdraw its forces over recent years, but the United States and other NATO members have refused to commit to the revised treaty until the withdrawal is complete.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia could no longer tolerate a situation where it was complying with the treaty but its partners were not, and he expressed hope Russia's move would induce Western nations to ratify the updated treaty.

"Such a situation contradicts Russia's interests," Peskov told the Associated Press. "Russia continues to expect that other nations that have signed the CFE will fulfill their obligations."

The suspension will take place 150 days after Russia officially notifies all the countries concerned of its intention.

The White House said it regretted the Kremlin's move.

"We're disappointed Russia has suspended its participation for now, but we'll continue to have discussions with them in the coming months on the best way to proceed in this area - that is in the interest of all parties involved and provides for security in Europe," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement.

In Brussels, NATO spokesman James Appathurai condemned the decision. "NATO regrets this decision by the Russian Federation. It is a step in the wrong direction," Appathurai said. Britain's Foreign Ministry also expressed concern over the move.

The treaty is seen as a key element in maintaining stability in Europe. It establishes limitations on countries' deployment of tanks, armored combat vehicles, artillery, attack helicopters and combat aircraft.

Withdrawal from the treaty would allow Moscow to build up forces near its borders. But Russian military analysts have said Russia's move was a symbolic raising of the ante in the missile shield showdown more than a sign of impending military escalation.

Russian officials have staunchly protested U.S. missile plans, saying the U.S. system is aimed at its nuclear arsenal, and would upset the balance of strategic forces in Europe. The U.S. insists that the anti-missile system is aimed at future nuclear threats from Iran.

Alexander Golts, a respected military analyst with the Yezhenedelny Zhurnal online publication, said the moratorium probably won't result in any major buildup of heavy weaponry in European Russia, because the country faced no real military threat and plans no attack of its own. "It doesn't make sense, and let's be frank, Russia has no resources for it," he said.

Pavel Felgenhauer, a Moscow-based defense analyst, said the end of inspections and checks by NATO countries will be a primary consequence for many European nations, which rely on them to keep track of Russian deployments.

For the United States, the moratorium will mostly be a symbolic gesture, he said, since the U.S. has an extensive intelligence network that keeps close track of Russian forces.

But it will still be seen as another unfriendly move in Washington and Europe, Felgenhauer predicted.

"This will be a major irritant," he said. "It will seriously spoil relations. The kind of soothing effect from the last summit with Putin and Bush will evaporate swiftly," he said referring to a summit between Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush earlier this month at the Bush family vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine.


Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russian in Global Affairs magazine, said the Kremlin's move was a step toward asserting Russia's resurgence in global affairs.

He said that the Kremlin will seek a reconsideration of all the treaties and agreements reached during and after the Soviet break-up when it was weak. "It is a strategy to change Russia's positioning on the world arena," he said.

Sergei Markov, the Kremlin-connected head of the Moscow-based Institute for Political Research said the move to impose a moratorium on the CFE was the Kremlin's signal that Russia will not be bullied.

"There are people who don't want Russia getting up from its knees, who are pushing it back, who are saying 'you are weak, you lost,' but Russia is resisting that," he said.

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