US defense secretary says Russia is 'nuclear saber-rattling'

[webfact]

US defense secretary says Russia is 'nuclear saber-rattling'
ROBERT BURNS, Associated Press
JOSH LEDERMAN, Associated Press

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter blasted what the U.S. and its allies see as Russian aggression in Europe, saying Tuesday that Moscow is "going backward in time" with warlike actions that compel an American military buildup on NATO's eastern flank.

"We do not seek to make Russia an enemy," Carter said at a ceremony to install a new head of the military's U.S. European Command and top NATO commander in Europe. "But make no mistake: We will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us," he said.

Carter's remarks reflect U.S. aggravation with Moscow on multiple fronts, including its intervention in eastern Ukraine, its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and what Carter called Russian efforts to intimidate its Baltic neighbors — countries the United States is treaty-bound to defend because they are NATO members.

Carter said the "most disturbing" Russian rhetoric was about using nuclear weapons.

"Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russia's leaders' commitment to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and whether they respect the profound caution that nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to brandishing nuclear weapons," he said.

The end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was thought to have virtually ended the prospect of nuclear conflict with Moscow. But the speeches at Tuesday's change-of-command ceremony emphasized the possibility of history repeating itself, or at least ending a period of warmer U.S.-Russian relations.

Senior White House officials said the U.S. and its partners were shifting into a new phase focused on military deterrence to Moscow. Additional NATO forces that will rotate through countries on Russia's eastern flank will be enough to defend NATO countries if Russia were to attack, said the officials, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

To that end, the U.S. plans to add a third U.S. Army combat brigade in Europe in the coming year as part of a $3.4 billion initiative, Carter said. On Monday, he said NATO is considering establishing a continuous rotation of up to 4,000 troops in the Baltic states and possibly Poland.

That force, which could include some U.S. troops, is among options expected to be considered at a NATO defense meeting in June. U.S. officials said they were encouraging other NATO members to commit troops to the force as well.

But U.S. attempts to control or direct Russia haven't fared well. The U.S has been unable to end Russia's occupation of parts of Ukraine and support for separatist rebels. And Washington is desperately seeking Moscow's help to enforce a cease-fire in Syria between the Russian-backed government and Western-supported rebels, and eventually usher President Bashar Assad out of power.

On both fronts, the United States has been running into brick walls with the Russians.

U.S. officials said that they had "explicitly compartmentalized" the various issues the U.S. is discussing with Russia. Yet it's unlikely that Russia's government sees it that way.

The U.S. and NATO have sought to avoid provoking Moscow more than necessary, such as opting against opening new bases or permanently stationing troops in the Baltic countries. The Kremlin has raised concerns that permanent basing would violate a 1997 NATO-Russia agreement that prohibits permanent basing "in the current and foreseeable security environment," and senior U.S. officials said that NATO had decided to abide by those provisions.

Carter said he regretted the deterioration in relations with Moscow.

"We haven't had to prioritize deterrence on NATO's eastern flank for the past 25 years, but while I wish it were otherwise, now we have to," he said at an outdoor ceremony, speaking from a podium framed by birch trees and drenched in sunshine.

Carter emphasized his hope that Russia will abandon what he called its confrontational approach.

"The United States will continue to hold out the possibility that Russia will assume the role of a constructive partner moving forward, not isolated and going backward in time as it appears to be today," he said. "Much of the progress we've made together since the end of the Cold War, we accomplished with Russia. Let me repeat that. Not in spite of Russia, not against Russia, not without Russia, but with it."

Carter made no mention of two post-Cold War developments that many believe prompted, at least in part, Russia's turn away from the West, namely, the expansion of NATO to Russia's very doorstep and U.S. placement of missile defenses in Europe.

"We'll keep the door open for Russia," he said. But it's up to the Kremlin to decide."

Army Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti was installed Tuesday as head of U.S. European Command and the top NATO commander in Europe. Scaparrotti most recently commanded U.S. and allied troops in South Korea and has commanded troops in Afghanistan. He succeeds Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who has pointedly and repeatedly warned that NATO must better prepare for an adversarial relationship with Russia.

___

Lederman reported from Washington.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-05-04

[Class C]

The US$ will lose its dominance if the relationship between Russia and Europe improves. If you understand our current fiat money system this is what the whole story is all about.

[jesimps]

The US$ will lose its dominance if the relationship between Russia and Europe improves. If you understand our current fiat money system this is what the whole story is all about.

"The eyes are the mirror to the soul" Have look at Putins - pure evil.

[bark]

The US$ will lose its dominance if the relationship between Russia and Europe improves. If you understand our current fiat money system this is what the whole story is all about.

Say What ?? Europe hates Russia more then they hate the States. Please explain fiat money ?

[Rancid]

Gotta keep the MIC money machine a turning, both US and Russia could have ended life here anytime they pleased.

MAD worked as a system of everyone too scared to start a nuke war. However the US had to try and build a missile defence system. Sounds good superficially, however the Russians then realise what the US is really doing is setting up a realistic and survivable first strike capacity.

Not being complete idiots they realised what that means and who the target would be, hence new missiles being developed that can avoid the system. And so it goes on.

[SOTIRIOS]

...Cowboys and Indians all over again....

...how pathetic.....

....and the irony is........ the poor taxpayers....'Average Joes'.........finance these charades.......

[AGLV0121]

...Cowboys and Indians all over again....

...how pathetic.....

....and the irony is........ the poor taxpayers....'Average Joes'.........finance these charades.......

So what solution do you put ahead?

[arjunadawn]

Fewer things supersede domestic agenda as well as a good ole fashioned threat from the outside. Not unlike N. Korea, Iran, Iraq in 1990, and many other actors' belligerence, the US telegraphs the very outcomes it later finds itself confronting. ...and the US has been tapping code and telegraphing for a while now. Of course the rhetoric seemed disconnected to the current US election; it is not, however.

Yep! The most antiquated tool for consolidating domestic opinion is to present a national threat. I am so sick and tired of war being used as a tool to consolidate power.

[craigt3365]

Fewer things supersede domestic agenda as well as a good ole fashioned threat from the outside. Not unlike N. Korea, Iran, Iraq in 1990, and many other actors' belligerence, the US telegraphs the very outcomes it later finds itself confronting. ...and the US has been tapping code and telegraphing for a while now. Of course the rhetoric seemed disconnected to the current US election; it is not, however.

Yep! The most antiquated tool for consolidating domestic opinion is to present a national threat. I am so sick and tired of war being used as a tool to consolidate power.

This is exactly what Putin does in Russia. The US is the bogey man. It keeps the locals fired up, and him in power. Same thing was done in the USSR, of which Putin was a big part of. All media is controlled by the government, actually owned by the government. It's crazy watching RT TV. Just one show after another about how bad the West is.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/09/europe/russia-propaganda-war-syria-airstrikes/

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/17/crimea-crisis-russia-propaganda-media

And of course there's the internet troll team. Gotta hand it to Putin, he knows how to control the masses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_brigades

In 2013, a Freedom House report stated that Russia has been using paid pro-government commentators to manipulate online discussions and has been at the forefront of this practice for several years.^[18][19] In the same year, Russian reporters investigated the St. Petersburg Internet Research Agency, which employs at least 400 people. They found that the agency covertly hired young people as "Internet operators" paid to write pro-Kremlin postings and comments, smearing opposition leader Alexei Navalny and U.S. politics and culture.^[20][21]

[AlexStepashkin]

And of course there's the internet troll team. Gotta hand it to Putin, he knows how to control the masses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_brigades

Would be nice to have a reliable source on that, because wiki article or it's links doesn't have clear evidence, just like about any other country using such practice

[craigt3365]

And of course there's the internet troll team. Gotta hand it to Putin, he knows how to control the masses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_brigades

Would be nice to have a reliable source on that, because wiki article or it's links doesn't have clear evidence, just like about any other country using such practice

Never said other countries don't do this. The big difference being freedom of press. The ability to report about this and discuss it. Impossible to do in a country like Russia which has almost zero freedom of the press. As you well know.

If you want better sources, Google is your friend. Plenty of articles about this on the net.

[Publicus]

Sockpuppet is the derogatory term used for the people Putin pays to post Putin's stuff to discussion boards at the www.

A half-yuan or a fifty-cents is the term for the regiments CCP employs to post to www discussion boards.

While the half-yuans are better trained and rhetorically armed than are the sockpuppets, there are none of the former in these parts but there have been a good number of the latter. Dunno why as it sure would be good to have some coherent half-yuans to post against....

[Publicus]

The post clears up a lot thx.

It's Putin vs Nato which leaves Russia as the shadow of the former empire it had already become by the time it lost the Crimean War.

Except that post WW II Russia got nuclear weapons. Russian elites continue to fear China more than they fear the USA or anyone else. The world saw this during the cold war. Russia does indeed stand in the way of Xi Jinping's money starved new silk road project to connect CCP to Europe which is anyway too grandiose a scheme to be able to succeed.

Russia fears CCP China for good reasons besides....

China sees Russia as a declining power that can be transformed into an economic colony -- reduced to the role of oil and gas provider. China believes it can make strategic gains if Russia and Europe continue to clash.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/26/west-understand-china-trust-xi-jinping

Nato is beefing up its militarily along its borders with Russia because the EU is not an aggressor while Russia has demonstrated in Ukraine and elsewhere that it is one.

As SecDef Ashton Carter stated three different times during his November 7, 2015 speech to the Reagan Foundation Defense Forum...

“We’re taking a strong and balanced approach to deter Russia’s aggression.”

“We are adapting our operational posture and contingency plans as we – on our own and with allies – work to deter Russia’s aggression.”

“We are also changing fundamentally our operational plans and approaches to deter aggression.”

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/628147/remarks-on-strategic-and-operational-innovation-at-a-time-of-transition-and-tur

Deter.

US and Nato have now gone from the military posture of Assurance to the more serious posture of Deterence. Russian aggression is the cause and the reason of this unfortunate but necessary development.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Publicus

[Guest]

It's absolute craziness to bring nuclear weapons to the political discussion. It's ABSOLUTE craziness to do so!

We all know that the reminding power what Russia has, is the wast amount of nuclear warheads. Yes, we are all afraid of that power. You don't need to make a point, you have already made the point.

The fact is: Both of our nuclear superpowers can destroy our way of living in 30 minutes. That 30 minutes can happen today or ten years from now. That is the threat what the nuclear arsenal pose to all, every <deleted> one of us.

While some trigger happy folks think, it would be so cool to have a real war. It's actually not all that cool. I don't care about tens of millions who would die during the initial strikes of full blown nuclear war. I care about how our knowledge could survive after billions have died.

[AlexStepashkin]

It's absolute craziness to bring nuclear weapons to the political discussion. It's ABSOLUTE craziness to do so!

That's the reason why it never happened.

I didn't saw such interview and would be interested to see original one if it exists at all

[rgs2001uk]

...Cowboys and Indians all over again....

...how pathetic.....

....and the irony is........ the poor taxpayers....'Average Joes'.........finance these charades.......

So what solution do you put ahead?

Stay at home and dont go sabre rattling in someone elses backyard.

[Publicus]

...Cowboys and Indians all over again....

...how pathetic.....

....and the irony is........ the poor taxpayers....'Average Joes'.........finance these charades.......

So what solution do you put ahead?

Stay at home and dont go sabre rattling in someone elses backyard.

Nato is a voluntary association of 28 countries in a mutual and common defense.

Defense against what? Russia.

Russia as the Soviet Union and now Russia led by the old KGB Chekist Vladimir Putin. Both governments lived by a mass of nuclear weapons and both governments let the world know it.

The Mutually Assured Prosperity in Eurasia since the turn of the century has transmogrified back to the cold war doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction. The Nato posture has had to revert from Assurance to Deterrence. Yet Nato hasn't fired a shot.

Putin is the guy whose people are talking about dropping a "small" one (tactical) on a Baltic state to then take a swift control of it by armed force in the belief Nato would become paralyzed by it.

There is no end to this if Putin is allowed to run freely.

[rgs2001uk]

^^^^,

In whom do you place your trust?

Merkel who is about to open The Gates of Vienna and allow some 70+ million Turks on the shore of Europe, or Vlad?

As a European (not by choice, I am a UKIP man) my vote goes for Vlad.

[Guest]

It's absolute craziness to bring nuclear weapons to the political discussion. It's ABSOLUTE craziness to do so!

That's the reason why it never happened.

I didn't saw such interview and would be interested to see original one if it exists at all

Oh, really? Never happened?

Russia threatens Denmark with nuclear weapons if it tries to join Nato defence shield

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-threatens-denmark-with-nuclear-weapons-if-it-tries-to-join-nato-defence-shield-10125529.html

RUSSIA PRACTICED NUCLEAR STRIKE ON SWEDEN: NATO REPORT

http://www.newsweek.com/russia-practiced-nuclear-strike-sweden-nato-report-422914

Russia withdrew it's support from agreement of not using nuclear weapons

http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/a1426054519440 - 12.3.2015

There is naturally a lot of propaganda on both sides. What you, as a Soviet ambassador, need to think is; why free countries are not balanced between USA and Russia? What makes the countries to join NATO instead of formal Soviet Union or Warsaw pack?

The reason is that we have not forgotten the past. We trust the fairness of the USA much more than Russia. We are joining to NATO, not because we want to be part of a military alliance, but because we are afraid the instability of Russia.

Pretty much all of the neighbouring countries of Russia just wish to live in the pease. Currently and specially after the Russian occupation of Crimea, we all have more reasons to get assurances of our freedom of living.

Get rid of Putin. He is a corrupted formal KGB agent, wishing the best for himself. He is not a good leader. Not for Russia, not for the rest of the world who like to live in peace.

[rgs2001uk]

It's absolute craziness to bring nuclear weapons to the political discussion. It's ABSOLUTE craziness to do so!

That's the reason why it never happened.

I didn't saw such interview and would be interested to see original one if it exists at all

Oh, really? Never happened?

Russia threatens Denmark with nuclear weapons if it tries to join Nato defence shield

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-threatens-denmark-with-nuclear-weapons-if-it-tries-to-join-nato-defence-shield-10125529.html

RUSSIA PRACTICED NUCLEAR STRIKE ON SWEDEN: NATO REPORT

http://www.newsweek.com/russia-practiced-nuclear-strike-sweden-nato-report-422914

Russia withdrew it's support from agreement of not using nuclear weapons

http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/a1426054519440 - 12.3.2015

There is naturally a lot of propaganda on both sides. What you, as a Soviet ambassador, need to think is; why free countries are not balanced between USA and Russia? What makes the countries to join NATO instead of formal Soviet Union or Warsaw pack?

The reason is that we have not forgotten the past. We trust the fairness of the USA much more than Russia. We are joining to NATO, not because we want to be part of a military alliance, but because we are afraid the instability of Russia.

Pretty much all of the neighbouring countries of Russia just wish to live in the pease. Currently and specially after the Russian occupation of Crimea, we all have more reasons to get assurances of our freedom of living.

Get rid of Putin. He is a corrupted formal KGB agent, wishing the best for himself. He is not a good leader. Not for Russia, not for the rest of the world who like to live in peace.

Get rid of Putin.

As a Brit I wish we had a leader like him.

Calais, no more.

Chunnel smuggling , no more.

Islam , no more.

Yankee stay home, this aint your backyard.

Lol even the Pinoys kicked you out of Subic and Clark.

Sabre rattling in the China seas, not your backyard, Trump was right, Build That Wall.

Jeez even The Clash saw through this years ago.

[Guest]

Get rid of Putin.

As a Brit I wish we had a leader like him.

Calais, no more.

Chunnel smuggling , no more.

Islam , no more.

Yankee stay home, this aint your backyard.

Lol even the Pinoys kicked you out of Subic and Clark.

Sabre rattling in the China seas, not your backyard, Trump was right, Build That Wall.

Jeez even The Clash saw through this years ago.

How very lovely you wish to have Putin as your leader.

Now, when I don't agree with your opinions, what kind of exit plan do you have in mind?

Would you like to go slowly, albeit painfully - getting a deadly dose of polonium?

Or would you perhaps prefer the old fashioned lead poisoning?

These are the preferred method to get rid of the opposite views in mother Russia by the father Putin.

Did you say you were a Brit?

[rgs2001uk]

^^^^ Yes I am a Limey, yes I wish we had a leader like Vlad.

Exit plan for what?

The only exit plan I have is for getting out the madness that is the EU.

[Morch]

It's absolute craziness to bring nuclear weapons to the political discussion. It's ABSOLUTE craziness to do so!

We all know that the reminding power what Russia has, is the wast amount of nuclear warheads. Yes, we are all afraid of that power. You don't need to make a point, you have already made the point.

The fact is: Both of our nuclear superpowers can destroy our way of living in 30 minutes. That 30 minutes can happen today or ten years from now. That is the threat what the nuclear arsenal pose to all, every <deleted> one of us.

While some trigger happy folks think, it would be so cool to have a real war. It's actually not all that cool. I don't care about tens of millions who would die during the initial strikes of full blown nuclear war. I care about how our knowledge could survive after billions have died.

The first line brought an old game to mind:

[craigt3365]

It's absolute craziness to bring nuclear weapons to the political discussion. It's ABSOLUTE craziness to do so!

That's the reason why it never happened.

I didn't saw such interview and would be interested to see original one if it exists at all

http://www.infowars.com/report-putin-threatens-turkey-with-tactical-nukes/

“A source close to Russian President Vladimir Putin told me that the Russians have warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Moscow is prepared to use tactical nuclear weapons if necessary to save their troops in the face of a Turkish-Saudi onslaught. Since Turkey is a member of NATO, any such conflict could quickly escalate into a full-scale nuclear confrontation.”

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/syria-russian-pm-warns-world-war-troops-160212074839609.html

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the deployment of foreign ground troops in the Syrian conflict could result in a world war.

.......

When asked about a recent proposal from Saudi Arabia to send ground troops into Syria, the Russian prime minister answered that "the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war".

[craigt3365]

Lol even the Pinoys kicked you out of Subic and Clark.

And now they've invited the US back.

https://news.vice.com/article/philippine-govt-invites-former-occupying-military-powers-back-to-ward-off-china

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/16/philippines-reopens-subic-bay-as-military-base-to-cover-south-china-sea

Amazing how things change...

[Guest]

Again, sorry for posting several posts in a row.

You just posted 4 lengthy responses in a row within 2 minutes. Four responses which were well edited and well thought. That is your biggest mistake, not to mention the naive answers.

It took 19 hours to get responses to my posts. Less than that to get responses to other participants posts. We can create an schedule based on your response times.

This happens when a troll participates to the forum discussions. Then asks for permission and improvements from someone in Moscow to post it to the forum. Smarter employee would have waited 10-20 minutes between each response. You were too eager and failed to do so.

Let's face it, you screw up. I or anyone else here can report your failure to FSB. I won't do it, but it's kind of scary, isn't it? Working for pennies for troll factory does not sound so good anymore. Working for authoritarian government does not sound so good idea anymore.

Thanks and goodbye. Sorry for your lack of extra funding in the future. I guess you'll be fired.

[rgs2001uk]

Lol even the Pinoys kicked you out of Subic and Clark.

And now they've invited the US back.

https://news.vice.com/article/philippine-govt-invites-former-occupying-military-powers-back-to-ward-off-china

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/16/philippines-reopens-subic-bay-as-military-base-to-cover-south-china-sea

Amazing how things change...

It is indeed, amazing how the hub at Subic never took off, never mind I digress.

I am with The Don on this one, send them a bill every month, why should the American taxpayer foot the bill for this.

While we are at it, how much do the Sth Koreans contribute to Uncle Sams presence?

60 years later, what exactly is Uncle Sam doing in Sth Korea?

Japanese, send them the same bill, nothing more than guns for hire.