WAR games begin

[serryjw]

quote.......
Barely acknowledged by the Western media, military exercises organized by Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan under the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, (CSTO) were launched on the 24th of August. These war games, officially tagged as part of a counter terrorism program, are in direct response to US military threats in the region including the planned attacks against Iran.

The Rubezh-2006 exercise, is scheduled to take place from August 24-29 near the Kazak port city of Aktau:

"It will be the first joint military exercise undertaken by CSTO countries, and will involve 2,500 members drawn from various armed services of member states, with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan the principal participants. Uzbekistan, which has recently rejoined the CSTO, will send observers, while the two other pact members, Belarus and Armenia, will not be taking part .( IPWR News Briefing Central Asia)

Press reports from the region describe these war games as a response to US military presence and ambitions in Central Asia:

"The growing militarisation is connected with mutual mistrust among countries in the region, say analysts. Iranian media have speculated that the United States is using Azerbaijan to create a military counterweight to Iran on the Caspian. It is possible that the exercise conducted by the CSTO – in which Russia is dominant – represents a response to concerns about United States involvement in developing Kazakstan’s navy. Observers say Russia is leaning more and more towards the Iranian view that countries from outside should be banned from having armed forces in the Caspian Sea."

end quote.........
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHO20060824&articleId=3056


Are we going to make it to the midterm?

[DemInDistress]

1. good story..scary. does the whitehouse know this? wow

sniff sniff I smell a big war in the air. more:
The conduct of the CSTO war games must be seen as a signal to Washington that an attack on Iran could lead to a much broader military conflict in which Russia and the member states of the CSTO could potentially be involved, siding with Iran and Syria. Also of significance is the structure of bilateral military cooperation agreements. Russia and China are the main suppliers of advanced weapons systems of Iran and Syria. Russia is contemplating the installation of a Navy base in Syria on the eastern Mediterranean coastline. In turn, the US and Israel have military cooperation agreements with Azerbaijan and Georgia.

are they that stupid in Washington?

[serryjw]

2. Is that rhetorical??

They entire DC bunch scare the shit out of me. This isn't about land but rather resources..the final frontier. It's going to get very ugly for many years to come as the remaining energy and water make countries more desperate.

[orleans]

7. no, no, no. of course they're not stupid

they're going to need either another war or another attack to keep their numbers in congress. (at least they're assuming that will keep their numbers.) looks like they're going for war

i heard (cnn or msnbc) today that israel bought more submarines and they might try to go it alone against iran (? some crazy shit), and then this involuntary recall of marines & army...

hum...must be election time

[kineneb]

3. I figured this was direction things would go

I have a small bit of personal experience and interest in the happenings around Iran.

The Bush Regime threatens Iran; then Russia, China and other local countries prepare to defend their interest in Iran's oil. People forget that Iran's northern neighbors are former states of the Soviet Republic. (Another reason geography really ought to have more emphasis in our schools.)And that Russia look upon Iran as a close backyard neighbor.

Oh, that personal experience and interest- I have lived in Iran, and still have step-family living there.

May we live in interesting times...

[rubberducky]

4. Iran is having war games too.

Cuba is getting thier military ready for a US invasion. What has the idiot not screwed up?

[Subdivisions]

5. I think Bushco has forsaken

any position of power we had. The thing I've feared most seems to be materializing right before my eyes. I've had a feeling an allied effort might be mounted against us.

Think about it. If you were standing-down but longed to strike back at the US, you would wait until she is vulnerable. We are truly vulnerable. This would force the neocons, should an allied effort strike us, to retaliate with the only thing they know, a nuclear counterstrike.

It is truly scary all the scenarios one can come up with when you play out the current situation. They are like the spaghetti tracks on the weather map. You just don't know which one you're going to get.

[serryjw]

6. Israel did some horrible

things to Lebanon and the world knows it. Israel is only an extension of the US. The entire is choosing sides like in a school yard battle. Israel?Us believed their own press. Didn't think anyone had these kinda weapons and play tit for tat....we learned that lesson,painfully.

[LUHiWY]

8. Let's see....

They've got the Mideast boiling and Iran ready to kick *ss....N Korea on alert and paranoid....have restarted the Cold War (but who knows how cold it will stay?)...have sent a lot of jobs overseas....failing to fix health care and social security....Katrina failure...deficit sky high....

Damn...I feel safe.