Russians waste no time testing Obama

marcsignal

Although Barack Obama won't be sworn into office until January, it seems the Russians are wasting no time testing his possible response.

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0811058311184010.htm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081105/wl_nm/us_russia_medvedev1_4


Looks like Dmitry Medvedev wants him straight in at the sharp end.

Biggins

Thats all they will be doing between now and then. Probing him, testing him.
I'm sure the files they have on him will be updating with new info as we speak about everything Obama from his personality, likes and dislikes to his possible approaches and possible reactions to certain situations, etc.

...And Obama will know (and be advised) that they will be doing this.

dennisthemennis

Go on the Russia.

marcsignal

might be interesting, this missile thing is not going to go away, and the Russians have not forgotten the fact they were left out of the whole Balkans thing in the 90's.

Manic Moran

Of note is who these missiles are 'aimed' at, politically and militarily.

They're SRBMs. They're not exactly going to hit the UK from there, they are a direct message not to Obama/The US but to Poland and the Baltic States.

Militarily they don't make much difference in the overall scheme of things. The ABM shield would never have been capable of stopping a Russian ICBM strike, there would just be too many targets. The Russians know this, they're using it as an excuse to use their muscle.

NTM

RedPlanet

It's hardly a test for Obama.
Afterall, they've every right to station Russian missiles in Russian terriortory.
Nobody can do anything about that.
If anything, it may highlight that engaging in diplomacy is better than exclusion.

It'll be +1 to Obama and +1 to Medvedev

topper75

I've seen this movie before. Medvedev kills Obama in the ring. Then Joe Biden goes back into training to fight Medvedev. Boring.

marcsignal

RedPlanet wrote: »

It's hardly a test for Obama.

hmm, don't know about that, the date of Medevev's announcement (2nd link) is significant imo, straight after the election results.

RedPlanet wrote: »

Afterall, they've every right to station Russian missiles in Russian terriortory.
Nobody can do anything about that.

I agree

RedPlanet wrote: »

If anything, it may highlight that engaging in diplomacy is better than exclusion.

It'll be +1 to Obama and +1 to Medvedev

again, I wouldn't be too sure diplomacy will prevail here, considering it has just been reported in the Kremlin Newspaper 'Vedomosti' that Medevev could resign in 2009 to pave the way for Vladimir Putin to return to the Kremlin.

Yesterday Medevev proposed increasing the Presidential term from 4 to 6 years. It's speculated that this is part of a plan drawn up by Vladislav Surkov, Medevev's first deputy chief of staff.

Under the plan, Medevev could implement unpopular social reforms so that Putin could return to the Kremlin for a longer period.

interesting times ahead

cabinteelytom

The timing of Medvedyev's announcement is interesting: one day too late to influence the US election, and successfully kept secret. But it's unlikely that the main content would have been changed in the event of a McCain victory. Russia was going to do this no matter who became President of the US; and get some use out of that portion of east Prussia that Russia kept after the war.
The reaction of President Adamkus of Lithuania, '..that will do nothing at all for the fight against terror' demonstrates either a dry sense of humour, or that the President is the only person in Europe who thinks the 'missile shield' is to counter Iranian 'terrorists' launching attacks over Azerbajan, Russian Federation,Ukraine; 'they'd be just that sneaky'. [I'm trying to get on message too. Ten Bears good Indian, as we say. ]