Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu (2019-02-02) 03
(Image by (From Wikimedia) The Presidential Press and Information Office, Author: The Presidential Press and Information Office) Details Source DMCA
Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu (2019-02-02) 03
(Image by (From Wikimedia) The Presidential Press and Information Office, Author: The Presidential Press and Information Office) Details Source DMCA
One could easily conclude from Putin's careful wording that the list of targets has been broadened to include the "White House," home of the U.S. president. It likely also includes the Capitol Building, where the U.S. Congress convenes, since Congress is certainly part of the planning for any war. And it must also include many of the buildings connected with the myriad of administrative departments of the U.S. government, along with various private think tanks that supply the government with position papers, research and policy formulation. It might even include the numerous media outlets such as National Public Radio and its affiliates that serve as surrogate mouthpieces for the U.S. State Department, the CIA and the Pentagon war machine.
Certainly, after Putin's very direct warning to Americans, I personally would not choose Washington D.C. as a place where I would want to spend any length of time. I would veer away from any area where there were military installations, but also offices of Homeland Security, the CIA, the FBI and branches of any number of federal agencies. Rural is the way to go, for no city connected with the Federal government through its franchises is really safe. And Putin said, no bones about it, in a nuclear exchange, Russia would have the advantage. "Just do the math," Putin urged the American leadership.
Let's listen to Russian President Putin in his own words:
"I am saying this directly and openly now, so that no one can blame us later, so that it will be clear to everyone in advance what is being said here. Russia will be forced to create and deploy weapons that can be used not only in the areas we are directly threatened from, but also in areas that contain decision-making centres for the missile systems threatening us."
I would read this to mean that installations such as the Pentagon in northern Virginia and the U.S. president's domicile in Washington, D.C. could be targets for nuclear-armed missiles. They are all planning centers, just as Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi's home was made a target by NATO as a planning center, and was, in fact, successfully destroyed.
In the event a reader or listener may have thought that Putin's reference to "decision-making centers" was an off-handed one-of-a-kind comment, the Russian president, in the next few sentences, drives his point home.
"These weapons will fully correspond to the threats directed against Russia in their technical specifications, including flight times to these decision-making centres. We know how to do this and will implement these plans immediately, as soon as the threats to us become real."
The readiness posture is a reaction to the possibility that the United States, after having removed itself from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty that banned intermediate range missiles, will outfit Russia's immediate neighbors with missiles capable of striking Moscow, according to Putin, within "12 minutes" after launch.
Why did the United States want to withdraw from a treaty which seemed to secure the peace between the two most lethally armed nations on earth? U.S. officials claim that Russia has been in violation of the treaty, which Russia has denied. But Russian officials, including Putin in the speech at hand, has also clearly outlined U.S. violations of the treaty which have continued for years. Again, Putin:
"Americans began developing and using medium-range missiles, calling them discretionary 'target missiles' for missile defence. Then they began deploying Mk-41 universal launch systems that can make offensive combat use of Tomahawk medium-range cruise missiles possible.
"I am talking about this and using my time and yours because we have to respond to the accusations that are leveled at us. But having done everything I have just described, the Americans openly and blatantly ignored the provisions envisaged by articles 4 and 6 of the INF Treaty. According to Item 1, Article VI (I am quoting): 'Each Party shall eliminate all intermediate-range missiles and the launchers of such missiles...so that...no such missiles, launchers...shall be possessed by either party.' Paragraph 1 of Article VI provides that (and I quote) 'upon entry into force of the Treaty and thereafter, neither Party may produce or flight-test any intermediate-range missile, or produce any stages or launchers of such missiles.' End of quote.
"Using medium-range target missiles and deploying launchers in Romania and Poland that are fit for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, the US has openly violated these clauses of the Treaty. They did this some time ago. These launchers are already stationed in Romania and nothing happens."
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