Justus For All

From what I’ve read it is a sheerly political move. In order to plot the trajectory of an IRBM, it has to have shed its booster stage. The close proximity of Azerbaijan would prevent this. The best analogy I’ve read is that it’s like putting your outfielders a foot from home plate.

More likely Putin is just trying to be a divisive figure, knowing how this move plays in the western press and thus in the member countries of NATO.

“More likely Putin is just trying to be a divisive figure, knowing how this move plays in the western press and thus in the member countries of NATO.”

I really have not seen much reaction from the American Press. Some mention of the cold war two type stuff, but not much. How has Europe reacted to the threat of missiles pointed at them?

As long as Russian is developing missiles to defeat our missile shield, i think we should also plan on shooting down there missiles also.

I also don’t think we should share information generated by the shield either when they are developing missiles to defeat our shield.

If they want to protect their selves from missiles of unfriendly countries (like Iran), stop building missiles to defeat our shields, and we will share all the infor they want.

The most plausible critique of NMD now is that it encourages American force projection — ie we are more willing to intervene militarily if we believe it will be free of consequences. The claim is plausible, but of course your opinion on that turns on your opinion about American force projection. Bracket that.

Does the same analysis apply to Russia. Is it possible they want to move the interceptors to South Asia because it is the locus of their own security problems?

I dont know, I’m asking

RW,

My gut feeling is that their opposition to the missile defense bases, and the gambit to relocate some of the facilities to Azerbaijan is based more on emotion then intelectual analysis. Russia, and the psyche of individual Russians, including many in power, are still trying to come to terms with no longer being a super power. A lot of this controversy, and other similar international controversies Russia has engaged in in recent years is a refelection of that.