Russia Says New U.S Missile Project Might provoke a Full-scale Nuclear Attack. Is Putin Bluffing?

Question

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/10/06/MNGF9LJSMM1.DTL

A Pentagon project to modify its deadliest nuclear ICBM for use as a conventional weapon against targets such as North Korea and Iran could spark an atomic war, says Russian President Vladimir Putin

Putin warned that the project would increase the danger of accidental nuclear war.

Putin said-
"The media and expert circles are already discussing plans to use intercontinental ballistic missiles to carry nonnuclear warheads, The launch of such a missile could provoke a full-scale counterattack using strategic nuclear forces."

Accidental nuclear war is not so far-fetched. In 1995, Russia initially interpreted the launch of a Norwegian scientific rocket as the onset of a U.S. nuclear attack. President Boris Yeltsin activated his "nuclear briefcase" in preparation to launch a retaliatory strike before the mistake was discovered.

If the coldwar is over, why is Russia still afraid of a U.S firststrike

Answer 1

Russia is led by Putin, former head of the KGB. If Putin is such a goody two shoes, then why has Russia supplied Iran & before that, Iraq with nuclear know-how & weapons? Putin can't be trusted, & neither can NBC, CBS, CNN, & MSNBC. They fired Dan Rather because he lied about Bush, so why are a lot of people swallowing what these biased news media are telling us? From what I know, Fox & CBN news are the most unbiased & truthful. Also, isn't it better to stop maniacal, nuclear crazy regimes with non-nuclear weapons, rather than nuclear ones, where the radiation might drift elsewhere? Moreover, Russia wants Middle East oil. So it's only logical that they're supplying nuclear know-how to Iran, so they can get oil from it. Also, the KGB is well known to have turned mother against son or father against daughter, brother against sister, etc. just to get what they want (through bribery, torture, beatings, mutilation, amputations, exiling you to a Russian prison (gulag) in Siberia, etc.) Pretty nice folks, eh? I read in a true story in Reader's Digest, several years back, that a single prisoner can be required to drag a telephone pole in sub-zero weather. Naturally, after a while or shortly thereafter, the person dies, all the while being fed food you wouldn't even feed a starving rat. Moreover, we need to keep our nuclear arsenal strong, not only against forked tongued Putin, but against Red China. The latter has received a lot of weapons from Russia (including nuclear) & it is not illogical to assume that Russia will back Red China no matter what Putin says. In addition, Red China has supplied North Korea with a lot of nuclear know-how & weaponry.

Answer 2

Putin's an idiot. This chucklehead couldn't manage a bowling league let alone an entire nation. His country's dying a slow death. He's built an economy on the manufacturing and sales of arms (with some oil thrown in for good measure), and he sells it to anyone who has the cash. Yet somehow, he has the gaul to throw these types of comments around. Typical.

Every single crisis/catastrophe that has arisen in Russia since this goomba's been in charge has resulted in miserable failure and mass casualties. The sinking of the Russian sub-- let em sit at the bottom of the ocean to drown. The Chechans taking over the Opera House and the Beslan school was basically a massacre. He took down the wealthiest man in Russia (president of the largest oil company), for funding political opponents, both liberal and communist.

Putin's a mobster, plain and simple. He believes in communism-- "the collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe"-- so he said, then backpeddled faster than Lance Armstrong when the world denounced such talk. No matter what he espouses to the rest of the world, he's a hardened commie, plain and simple.

The people of Russia have no faith in this loser. He runs the country like a retarded Don, with his pathetic cronies either licking his boot heels or whispering in his ear.

Answer 3

Not clod war was never really over.In the last two or three years, Puttin made it know internationally that they had developed a new missile system that could reach it;s targets faster than anything on the face of the planet. About a year ago, he announced that they had developed a new nuclear system that would be unrivaled as well. I realized for sure then, that the cold war is anything but over. Look up the USA's research on the "Scram jet" experiments we're doing. That's what he's probably talking about, being's we make known to everyone our strengths.

Answer 4

I remember reading as new story about when America was shutting down its nuclear silos. A Russian officer was monitoring one of the missile dismantling. The American officer in charge happened to mention that there no longer any missiles pointed at Russia but the were all pointed at China. He ask the Russian General where the Russian missiles were targeted. The Russian turned and walked away without comment

Answer 5

Because Russia and the US still have exactly opposite opinions when it comes to almost any subject. Look at the UN. Whatever the US supports, Russia almost always supports the opposite. I think they need to update their equipment and stop whining, or don't and stop whining. If we're going to nuke Russia, we're going to do it in mass, and their going to know. We're not going to fire off one missile out of a sub and hope it destroys Russia.

Answer 6

I dont know. Its hard to say really. But I dont think Russia is fully trust worthy. I am sure we are keeping an eye and ear out over there. In todays world most your allies really may not be your allie

Answer 7

I think Putin is trying to say the world isnt going to sit around and let the united states screw up iran and or korea the same way we have screwed up iraq.

Answer 8

Ian C, why are you still afraid of Russia?

Answer 9

because russia needs its enemy just as much america needed its enemy