Is Cold War II Just Around The Corner?

...While the Bush administration keeps its focus on turning a disaster in Iraq into victory, it seems that Russia is not buying into the rhetoric that the United States is the only superpower.

Last week, the Russians tried out a new ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads and a new cruise missile. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the tests were a response to plans by the United States to build missile defense sites in Europe. He said he puts no stock in assurances from the United States that the missile defense sites are meant to counter threats from Iran, not Russia.

...Judging from Putin's remarks last week, he's not happy. Putin has wanted the United States and other NATO members to ratify a revised version of the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, which limits the deployment of heavy non-nuclear weapons — something that has not happened.

"We have signed and ratified the CFE treaty and are fully implementing it," Putin said. "We pulled out all our heavy weapons from the European part of Russia to [locations] behind the Ural Mountains and cut our military by 300,000 men. And what about our partners? They are filling Eastern Europe with new weapons. A new base in Bulgaria, another one in Romania, a [missile defense] site in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic. What are we supposed to do? We can't just sit back and look at that."

Putin has said Russia will opt out of the CFE altogether if NATO nations don't ratify the revised version of the treaty. In remarks that can only be interpreted as a slap against the Bush administration's style of diplomacy, Putin attacked those "who want to dictate their will to all others regardless of international norms and law. It's dangerous and harmful. Norms of the international law have been replaced with political expediency. We view it as diktat and imperialism."

These words come from a man who President Bush still believes is his friend. In remarks last week, Bush brushed off Putin's criticism.

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Yes it looks like George W. is going to fight them, including Russia over there so they won't fight us over here! Yes sarcasm is intended.

If you were in Putin's shoes what would you think and do? I would do exactly the thing he did! Threaten!

You can't tell me that this administration would do nothing if Russia came over here and put up a missile defense aimed at Mexico? That is basically what we are trying to do over there! They told Russia they are not the enemy. But since when does this administration tell the truth?

Starting the cold war again? Our side has never stopped.