Russia Responds to the US Missile Defense Review
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
A previous article discussed the MDR, released at a time when America’s only enemies are invented ones.
It’s a pretext for spending countless trillions of dollars more in the years ahead than already, what America’s military, industrial, security, media complex demand, along with endless wars for their use - all sovereign independent nations targeted for regime change.
Washington’s Nuclear Posture Review, National Security Strategy, Missile Defense Review, National Security Strategy, and similar initiatives are all about escalating an arms race and waging endless wars.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern, saying the Trump regime’s MDR “is bound to evoke serious concern,” adding:
“It is openly confrontational and once again demonstrates Washington’s goal of achieving (unchallenged) military supremacy in the world and the ability to conduct with impunity military operations in defense of its interests in any part of the globe.”
Endless wars of aggression in multiple theaters, aiming to colonize one nation after another explain what imperialism is all about.
The US agenda under Republicans and undemocratic Dems rejects turning a page for world peace and stability. Polar opposite aims push things for endless conflicts.
Washington rejects restraints in the buildup of its military potential, including its global empire of bases, platforms for warmaking, hostile to stepping back from the brink anywhere.
“(T)he US considers legitimate a method of missile defense that provides for the preemptive, that is, pre-launch destruction of ‘threatening” missiles,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry explained, adding:
“(T)his ornate formula which the US wants to sound at least a bit respectable means the mounting of preventive, ‘disarming’ strikes against the countries that the US considers its enemies” - even though it faces no foreign threats.
A hugely dangerous WMD arms race risks nuclear disaster. The Trump regime is escalating things instead of pursuing diplomatic outreach.
Militarizing space is especially worrisome. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty (1967) bans America, Britain, and other signatories from deploying WMDs in earth orbit. Five other treaties address space issues:
1. The 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty, prohibiting nuclear testing in outer space.
2. The 1968 Astronauts Rescue Agreement, requiring the safe return of astronauts and objects launched into space to their country of origin.
3. The 1972 Liability Convention, establishing procedures for determining the liability of nations damaging space objects of others.
4. The 1976 Registration Convention, requiring the registration of objects launched into space.
5. The 1984 Moon Agreement, establishing how space resources may be developed and used.
The 1972 SALT I Treaty, 1972 ABM Treaty, 1987 INF Treaty, 1992 Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, 1994 START I Treaty, and other international agreements deal with space-related issues.
In 2002, Bush/Cheney withdrew from the ABM Treaty. Trump is pulling out of the INF Treaty. John Bolton said the regime will abandon all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the International Criminal Court.
In its madness to weaponize space, will all of the above treaties and other international agreements be abandoned, leaving the US unrestricted by international laws, norms, and standars to operate more unaccountably than already.
Trump regime aims are heading toward launching an arms race in space with hugely negative consequences for world peace.
Russia’s urging the US to abandon is plans to militarize space falls on deaf ears in Washington, its Foreign Ministry saying pursuing them “will in no way enhance the security of the US, its allies or partners. Any attempts to follow this road will have the opposite effect.”
“They will deal yet another powerful blow to international stability, which is already falling apart due to Washington’s irresponsible actions. Clearly, nobody gains in this scenario.”
Russia is ready to deal with the Trump regime diplomatically on this highly sensitive issue and all others.
Hardliners in Washington want no part of it, hellbent for unrestrained militarization on earth and in outer space.
A Final Comment
US hostility risks heading things toward direct confrontation between the world’s dominant nuclear powers.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry commented separately on the Trump regime’s propaganda campaign to discredit Kremlin policies related to Afghanistan, saying:
“We have recently received information saying that the US security services are preparing a series of bogus stories to be published in the media of Afghanistan and some Western countries” - including phony claims about Russia aiding the scourge of ISIS supported by the US while pretending otherwise.
The Trump regime’s aim is all about manufacturing pretexts to vilify Russia, along with distracting world attention from its lost war, its longest in modern times.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry explained what its officials rarely mention, what demands repeated stressing, saying unidentified flights “deliver reinforcements and weapons to ISIS terrorists in Afghanistan, mostly in the north of the region” - along with deploying jihadists to areas in US conflict theaters, using them as imperial foot soldiers.
“We have asked direct questions about who is delivering weapons to extremists and helping them create a base near the southern borders of the CIS. And now Washington has seemingly decided to shift the blame to Russia rather than answer this question,” said its Foreign Ministry, adding:
What’s going on “suggests that the US might have been trying to prevent a leak of information regarding what the ISIS members could reveal about their real sponsors.”
There’s no ambiguity about what’s going on. The US created and supports ISIS, along with likeminded jihadist groups.
Instead of pussyfooting around the issue, it’s vital for Russia and its allies to highlight the scheme and lay blame where it belongs.
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