Russia delivers a message for post-superpower America

[Wehrwolfen]

Russia delivers a message for post-superpower America as sequestration defense cuts loom​

Thomas Lifson
February 16, 2013


Russia delivered a powerful message to the United States just hours before President Obama's State of the Union address, one the American people are only just now beginning to learn about, starting with the conservative blogosphere. Bill Gertz of the Washington Free Beacon reports:

Two Russian nuclear-armed bombers circled the western Pacific island of Guam this week in the latest sign of Moscow's growing strategic assertiveness toward the United States.
The Russian Tu-95 Bear-H strategic bombers were equipped with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and were followed by U.S. jets as they circumnavigated Guam on Feb. 12 local time-hours before President Barack Obama's state of the union address.​

To understand the significance of this move, consider that Guam is home to Andersen Air Force Base, a major strategic installation and home to B-52 bombers. During the Vietnam War, many Guam-based bombers were used in combat. In the strategic realignment toward Asia that President Obama is pushing, Guam plays a key role, facing China and North Korea. It functions as an "unsinkable aircraft carrier capable of hosting the largest strategic weapons in the American arsenal. And now Russia has delivered the message that it is within their gunsights, that their bombers can fly within attack range with impunity.

John Bolton, former U.N. ambassador and former State Department international security undersecretary, said the Russian bomber flights appear to be part of an increasingly threatening strategic posture in response to Obama administration anti-nuclear policies.

"Every day brings new evidence that Obama's ideological obsession with dismantling our nuclear deterrent is dangerous," Bolton said. "Our national security is in danger of slipping off the national agenda even as the threats grow."

Defense officials said the bombers tracked over Guam were likely equipped with six Kh-55 or Kh-55SM cruise missiles that can hit targets up to 1,800 miles away with either a high-explosive warhead or a 200-kiloton nuclear warhead.​

The TU-95 Bear is as old a design as the B-52, dating from the early 1950s. Its swept wing turboprop configuration and ultra-long range cruising capabilities make it still useful to Russia for long range patrols, the version currrently in use dating from the 1980s and 1990s.

[Excerpt]


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Blog: Russia delivers a message for post-superpower America as sequestration defense cuts loom

 

[Occamstazer]

Sorry, saw John Bolton's name and designated this to the wacky bin.

 

[OKTexas]

Sorry, saw John Bolton's name and designated this to the wacky bin.

Right, the puppet Rice is much more reliable.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Two Russian nuclear-armed bombers…

Neo-cons continue to blindly serve their masters: the Pentagon and ‘defense’ industry. To this end they must keep the myth of the ‘Soviet Empire’ alive; whether communist or free market, Russians will always be Russians.

Without some international ‘threat,’ neo-cons can’t justify the billions wasted on military spending, the billions wasted on maintaining current military operations, or future wars designed to keep the money flowing to military contractors.

The Americans people, frightened by the specter of some contrived Russian military threat, will remain compliant and refrain from asking questions.

 

[ArmyCowboy]

Its 2013, are some folks really still pimping the red scare?

 

[Two Thumbs]

We won the Cold War, thanks to Reagan, russia is nothing more than a paper tiger

 

[Flopper]

I wonder if there is any truth in the story. Of course, that's not really important.

 

[Katzndogz]

Russia is nothing compared to obama. He's a god. He can ground all Russia's planes with a glance. Don't forget Hillary's mighty reset button.

This is laughable. John Kerry can't even get a return phone call. America is already yesterday's news.

 

[ArmyCowboy]

I wonder if there is any truth in the story. Of course, that's not really important.

It sounds truthy to the true believers.

Guess that's all that's really important, huh?

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Its 2013, are some folks really still pimping the red scare?

They certainly are – old habits die hard for neo-cons.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

If true the fact you can just dismiss it, proves just how out of touch with reality you fools are.

 

[Katzndogz]

It's part of obama's flexibility.

 

[Katzndogz]

We don't need a military to deal with Russia. obama can dismantle our military and he can swing his mighty golf club.

 

[Unkotare]

Two Russian nuclear-armed bombers…

Neo-cons continue to blindly serve their masters: the Pentagon and ‘defense’ industry. To this end they must keep the myth of the ‘Soviet Empire’ alive; whether communist or free market, Russians will always be Russians.

Without some international ‘threat,’ neo-cons can’t justify the billions wasted on military spending, the billions wasted on maintaining current military operations, or future wars designed to keep the money flowing to military contractors.

The Americans people, frightened by the specter of some contrived Russian military threat, will remain compliant and refrain from asking questions.

Are you claiming that the Russian planes did not circle Guam?

 

[bigrebnc1775]

We won the Cold War, thanks to Reagan, russia is nothing more than a paper tiger

 

[Staidhup]

So, as I understand it, the Messiahs position is that if the US leads by example, dismantles our nuclear capacity, the rest of the world will follow, and the world will live in peace, and Russia gives a dam about the fool on the hill and his cadre of tie dyed political wannabes? Ha Ha Ha, tell that to North Korea,China, India, Pakistan, Iran etc... Such a pathetic joke. The rest of the world knows otherwise.

 

[Unkotare]

Russia is nothing compared to obama. He's a god. He can ground all Russia's planes with a glance. Don't forget Hillary's mighty reset button.

This is laughable. John Kerry can't even get a return phone call. America is already yesterday's news.

Are you French?

 

[ArmyCowboy]

We don't need a military to deal with Russia. obama can dismantle our military and he can swing his mighty golf club.

Our military spending is more than 10 times that of Russia's.

I mean I hate to throw cold water on your little red scare fantasies and all, but it is what it is.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

If true the fact you can just dismiss it, proves just how out of touch with reality you fools are.

Whether true or not isn’t the issue; the issue is the right’s knee-jerk response that war is the ‘solution.’

 

[bigrebnc1775]

If true the fact you can just dismiss it, proves just how out of touch with reality you fools are.

Whether true or not isn’t the issue; the issue is the right’s knee-jerk response that war is the ‘solution.’

I remember not to long ago we had missiles flying out of the ocean off our coastline I guess you would also have us disregard those warning shots?