Tony Halpin in Moscow
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The Russian military, furious at American plans to install a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe, is talking up the prospect of turning Cuba into a base for its long-range nuclear bombers.
Defence chiefs in Moscow are said to be pressing for the Kremlin to retaliate against the missile shield by placing strategic bombers off the American coast. The move threatens a rerun of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, when the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The Kremlin strongly opposes the deployment of ten interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic, despite American assurances that the shield is aimed at rogue states such as Iran and poses no threat to Russia. President Medvedev threatened “retaliatory steps” at the G8 summit this month after Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, sealed an agreement with the Czech Republic. The Foreign Ministry said that Russia would react “with military-technical methods”.
Yesterday Izvestia cited Defence Ministry sources as saying that crews from its TU160 Blackjack and TU95MS Bear long-range bombers had already visited Cuba to inspect a potential landing strip for use as a refuelling centre.
It claimed that facilities were also being considered in Venezuela, whose President, Hugo Chávez, agreed to step up military co-operation with Russia in talks with Mr Medvedev and Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister, in Moscow on Tuesday.
The bases would host refuelling aircraft and maintenance for the nuclear bombers, which resumed round-the-clock patrols last August for the first time since the Cold War. General Pyotr Deinikin, former commander of the air force, said that they would allow Russia to maintain an almost permanent presence off the US coast.
The plan has not received official confirmation in Moscow and it was unclear whether Russia would base nuclear bombers permanently in Cuba or use the communist island and former Soviet ally solely as a refuelling centre. Last night Ilshat Baichurin, the Defence Ministry spokesman, dismissed the reports as “disinformation”, according to the Interfax and RIA-Novosti news agencies.
The prospect has drawn a sharp response in the US. General Norton Schwartz, nominated as the new air force chief of staff, told a confirmation hearing in Washington DC on Tuesday that placing Russian bombers in Cuba “crosses a red line for the United States of America”. He said: “I would certainly offer the best military advice that we engage the Russians not to pursue that approach.”
Fidel Castro, the former leader of Cuba, entered the fray yesterday, praising his brother Raúl for refusing to comment on the possibility of hosting Russian bases. He said that Havana did not need to offer the US “any explanations or excuses”, he wrote in a letter to the cubadebate.cu website.
Russia's nuclear bomber force has come into repeated contact with Nato jets since Mr Putin ordered the resumption of long-range patrols. Russia also organised its biggest naval exercises since the collapse of the Soviet Union in January. The RAF and other Nato jets shadowed the Russian task force as it test-launched nuclear missiles and practised strike tactics off the coast of France and Spain.
Mr Putin has threatened to place nuclear missiles in Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave surrounded by EU states, if objections to the missile shield and the expansion of Nato into Ukraine and Georgia are ignored.
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Thanks for inserting the quote from President Kennedy. If the Bush wordsmith reads this he can turn it into a Bushism
John Taylor, Miami, USA
Clinton must have had the foresight to anticipate false flag operations.
john Taylor, Miami, USA
The placement of a defence shield this close to Russian borders is an insult and Cuba again will be used as a bargin chip,its all very predictable.The use of Tesla Scalar Waves as a defence against this threat is well known by the Russians and to a lesser extent by the USA.
ED, VANCOUVER BC, CANADA
The international bankers have been involved in every world war. They are the ones who will profit from the outcome. NATO, EU, and the UN want a One World Government and make us all interest payers.
Jon, Texas, USA
This is how it ends.
Not the world, not humanity but certainly our current way of doing things.
My advice is to come up with your own survival plans. You are welcome to dismiss such unease as 'tin foil alarmism' but you should understand human nature enough by now to be concerned.
Anonymous, Cincinnati,
Where the heck do you get this info from? it doesn't make sense.. why would russia set up missiles for Iran in Cuba? much farther away ..????
frank, new york, U.S.A.
One can hardly blame the Russians worrying about what the US is up to. After all, they had years of an arc of US missiles geared for their direction, present in various European countries. Bush is foolish to want to do this, but that is Bush for you. Hopefully the next president will be wiser.
margie , victoria, australia
If in fact Russia and US ever had a nuclear war, it doesn't matter were you live in the world, everybody dies. Get it?
Fred , Texas, USA
I don't think this alleged Russia's move is against the US.
There can be no talk of Russia threatening the US.
If Russian missiles are ever installed in Cuba, they won't target the US. They will neutralize a potential threat from Iran that Russians share with the US.
Shouldn't the US be grateful?
Alexey, St. Petersburg, Russia
Luke: Sorry to bust your bubble but President Clinton signed a bill that in effect said the USA will absorb 1 nuclear hit without firing back. Check out JoelSkousen.com in the " did you know" section.
Rocky, Cheyenne, USA
Could have seen this move coming a long mile away. So why couldn't the bozos in office?
M.J., Iowa, U.S.A.
Don't worry- in the next years it won't be any military conflict between Russia and USA. Since over 40 years it's a non-write rule in foreign policy of this two country- 'you fired first, you die second'. Both USA and Russia afraid of the war- we don't have to worry. Everything will be OK. =)
Luke, Poznan, Poland
What saddens me is the fact that the European countries are letting foreign powers playing with the lives of their people. As long as INDIVIDUAL countries will keep on signing INDIVIDUAL deals on defence with non-european countries, Europe will always be a pawn on the russian-american chessboard.
Horace, Florence, Italy
You all write about 10 rockets but don't forget about radar to be built in Czechia. It will see all European territory of Russia up to Ural and will be connected to American early warning system. It will upset the current balance.
Alex, Riga,
Again Russia is forced to extreme measures to defend itself. In the 60s it was the US nuclear superiority and its placement of nuclear missiles in Turkey that triggered the desperate move to put missiles in Cuba... Russia is paranoid beacuse it was attacked and threatened too many times.
Bob A, Melbourne, Australia
Yes, to all those posting. A nuclear war between Russian and the US would be great for the world. A win-win situation, everyone dies in a nuclear holocaust. No more US, Russia, Canada, etc.....Great idea and glad to see the Canadians standing firmly behind Russia. Insert sarcasm.
Mary, Suwanee, US
About time the US get a taste of its own medicine.
Hung, kuala lumpur,
I sincerely hope that you are right as I don't think Russia is in the mood of being bullied.
Glynn, Kingston,
I am sure I speak for all left-wing minded Canadians in saying "you go Russia!" It is only a matter of time before the US elects an unstable leader (as it has the tendancy towards) that is going to threaten the stability of the world, espeically if the Republican regime is voted back in. We are 4 u!
Adam, Hamilton, Canada
Oh Russia - relax. Neither President Obama or McCain will follow through with the European anti-missile shield.
Russia has such a powerful nuclear strike force that no amount of US interceptors could stop it [to say nothing of the fact that you could aim at the West from the sea or pole
Andre, Portland, USA