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Tuesday, February 09, 2010

This Looks So Familiar

The Russians are insisting that we make concessions on missile defense to get them to sign a new strategic nuclear arms treaty with us:

Russia's top general said on Tuesday that differences with the United States over plans for a missile defense shield were holding up a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the two Cold War foes, Interfax news agency said.

This seems so familiar. Oh yeah, we sold that concession already. Our administration sold the cancellation of the Bush-era missile defense plan in Eastern Europe, which would have helped defend America from long-range Iranian missiles, as a smart diplomatic move that got us supply lines to Afghanistan through Russia. But that hasn't worked out. Nor has the notion that we'd get help on Iran.

So now Russia is unhappy with even short-range missiles that could defend Europe from intermediate-range missiles, and wants even more concessions from us. Who could have seen that one coming?

Russia can't afford their nuclear weapons. START is really a favor to them since we can afford to maintain our weapons and Russia cannot. The idea that we need to make concessions to them is just insane.