US plans to set up military bases in eastern Europe

[rooboy]

Russia's Defence Minister has expressed concern at American plans to shift military bases from western Europe into countries which were once behind the Iron Curtain.

US Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman has been in Moscow holding talks with top Russian Foreign Ministry officials.

He has told them that the US wants new NATO members to host American military bases and that it plans to move a number of its bases in Europe eastward, possibly to Romania, Bulgaria and Poland.

Mr Grossman has stressed that such moves are not directed against Russia.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1008386.htm

[ConcernedCanuk]

1. US wants military bases EVERYWHERE !!

. . heck - they even want them in space -

. . the USA is making it obvious about a world domination plan

. . oh yah , they have the guns

but they do not have the support of the world

and that is why they will fail

another "rise and fall" story

Damm - don't those Murikkkans read History books ??

[bobthedrummer]

3. Dennis Kucinich is knowledgable about those space based systems

too knowledgable indeed for a passage of The Space Preservation Act of 2001/HR2977's text concerning "exotic weapons" got disappeared from the revised Space Preservation Act of 2002 language.
Here is the original, and yes, it's from a mind-control site.
http://www.raven1.net/govptron.htm

[Minstrel Boy]

4. and Dennis gets mocked as "flakey"

for merely quoting the bastards back at themselves.

If the military-industrial complex, with trillions of dollars at its command, takes seriously the development of exotic weapons and mind control technologies, then we're fools if we don't take it seriously.

[bobthedrummer]

5. The MIC thinks it's clever following the Third Reich playbook

over reliant on "super" weapons too.

[Turley]

19. This is not exactly new

I helped set up the initial bases in Hungary, Croatia, and Bosnia back in 1995-96. In addition to the support bases for Operation Joint Endeavor, we also began the early stages of setting up longer-term NATO bases and ranges. Got to see Gen Clark several times during my stay in the area.

BTW, independent of what Shrub wants, the Army has been heading towards this solution for a long time. I believe the next President (a Democrat) will continue the process since, it's what the military wants.

What they want to do is use new bases in E. Europe as foward-deployed areas where troops can be rotated in for shorter tours of duty while their families remain Stateside. It's much cheaper and it keeps the families out of forward-deployed situations.

[DemExpat]

2. My first thought....

Mr Grossman has stressed that such moves are not directed against Russia.

....moves are directed against "old Europe"....!!

DemEx

[ze_dscherman]

7. That's right!

These bases are to be used as a wedge to break up EU or to stop it's expansion. With some bases in the cash-hungry states in Eastern Europe, it's pretty easy to put economic pressure on them.

[hadrons]

6. good luck, 'new Europe' ...

those countries don't have the infrastruture to support U.S. bases and beside they aren't wholly subsidized by the U.S., so these poor countries will have to foot apart of the bill ... becareful what you wish for Romania, Bulgaria and Poland

[TheLastMohican]

9. The ruling elites of those countries are plain stupid

Along with the bases they will share the burden of maintaining them financially (and we know that they have zilch in that department), plus the notion of having their countries in the cross-hair of nuclear missiles. Very irresponsible policy.

[TheLastMohican]

8. Against whom them?

All these neat bases set up all around russian territory. Does he take russians for the dumb? Putin does not look like one.

[moondust]

10. Hitler would do the same.

Seeking a more submissive, less powerful, less environmentally opposed, less nuclear weapon opposed, "hungry" host where they can have their way on virtually everything without much noise from the locals. Plus the old guard Repug cold warriors will never trust Russia and have long sought to box her in. Cheap rent, too!

[jmcgowanjm]

12. Empire must expand until it contracts

Breakdown will come from center or the edge.
Or both.

And I haven't seen this on DU.


United States International Relations
Iraq
Bush, George W
France

DIPLOMACY

Bush Seeks Help of Allies Barred From Iraq Deals

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/11/international/middleeast/11PREX.html?ex=1071723600&en=fe4796ca7cc3b44f&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

You can't make this stuff up.

[Hubert Flottz]

11. Oil's well that ends well according to Bushco!

It's all about oil! It's always about oil!

New Amnesty International Report Details Legal Loopholes Threatening Human Rights in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey

http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/2003/azerbaijan05192003.html

We Must Be In A Position To Guard The Bush CON-tributor's Oil and Gas Investments!

[pinto]

13. inching towards a hold on Georgia oil pipeline and an arc of

control across the Caucasus.

[RPG-7]

14. the infamous "arc of instability"

Damn am I glad that I didn't wind up born in a small country with oil assets :eyes:

[GenClarkBeatsBush]

15. Eastern Europe is becoming the new Germany.

As a graduate student studying foreign policy and national security, my area study is Eastern Europe/Russia. I can say that, given Russia's innate (and often visceral) tendancy towards the nationalist and paranoiac xenophobia, this is going to be perceived as a threat to Russia.

It's going to get messy if George W. Bush doesn't start making friends instead of poking his fingers into the eyes of those who could support us.

No matter, Wesley Clark will take care of things quite nicely when he takes office in January of 2005- He of the experienced diplomat as Supreme Commander of NATO. He is more of an expert on Eastern Europe than any other candidate.

Eric

[DemExpat]

17. Welcome to DU GCBB!

I think you are right about Clark taking care of things when he takes office....let's hope!

DemEx

[pinto]

16. Grossman's original menu included Central Asia, see link

http://www.expandnato.org/grossnator.html

[loudnclear]

18. How is different from missiles in Cuba?

Somebody please explain. Why any country across the ocean would want us to have a military base on its land is beyond me. It becomes a stealth invasion every time. Look at Gitmo, look at Panama, look at Saudi Arabia (before 9/11). Can other countries have their military bases stationed here? What's wrong with this picture?