The state secretary of the USA Condoleezza Rice called the Russian foreign policy on Caucasus and in other regions of the world "a very dangerous game". That application the head of the American foreign policy department made before today's emergency meeting of the Council of NATO where the conflict in South Ossetia would be discussed.
Russia is a state which, unfortunately, uses and always used only one tool to bring its signal to the notice of others and this tool - military power, Rice declared to journalists: it's not the method which can be used in XXI century.
To confirm her thesis the state secretary resulted military presence in Georgia and the flights of the Russian strategic bombers above Northern Atlantic, Arctic regions and Pacific ocean - near to air space the USA restarted in 2007.
Russia, Rice considers, during the conflict with Georgia showed that "it can apply overwhelming military superiority in the region to crush small neighbour". Besides the state secretary noticed, "the Russian strategic aircraft flying along the coast of America is not needed to anybody".
From editorial board: It is remarkable that in her very rigid statement the state secretary strictly coordinated events in Georgia to functioning of the Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces (SNF). Perhaps, for the first time in rhetoric of the American diplomacy of last years the theme of SNF sounds as well as intention of the USA to do something not only in relation to the threat of the Russian ground arms on periphery of the CIS but also in relation to the functioning of the Russian nuclear triad.
The question does not evoke counter-reproaches, say, intentions to place elements of anti-missile defense system along the borders of the Russian Federation or to remind that though Russia has restarted the flights of strategic aircraft in Arctic regions, the USA did not stop similar flights of their "strategists". Probably, aspiration to restore the Russian nuclear triad and to modernize SNF is one of the most intelligent intentions of the Kremlin. However today condition of SNF, especially the components of naval and aviation causes very big concern. Actually in the near future Russia can lose efficient nuclear submarines and simultaneously obvious ageing of the park of strategic bombers is being observed. For today for constant presence in the air aviation component of SNF is not enough.
It is necessary to remind also that anti-missile system is not capable to intercept cruise missiles launched from strategic bombers - this element of a nuclear triad becomes thus the key in the future nuclear opposition of the 21-st century.
For modernization and reequipment of SNF Russia needs under the most modest calculations 8-10 years, at that there should not be thefts but a lot of work. The supreme management in the Kremlin behaves so as if they already have "nuclear umbrella" providing them absolute invulnerability. Today Condoleezza Rice quite transparently hinted to our "strategists from Rublevka" what direction first of all the USA would choose to prevent of "the Russian threat". It's difficult now to say the way the USA will choose to reduce efficiency of the Russian SNF. It is quite possible that at a level of the countries of NATO and satellites of the block the decision on restriction of deliveries of some critical materials and technological elements, say, from Ukraine, Israel and France will be accepted. Perhaps, the efforts of special services of the West will be directed on decrease in efficiency of the Russian DIC and Research and Advanced Development in defensive subjects, sabotage and decrease in the general industrial - technological culture. Now it's difficult to foresee. Taking into account level of the Russian special services today - is simply impossible.
It is important to note also that the Russian Federation today already densely begins to cope with a role of "empire of evil" and "world bogey". Sometimes this role appears to be rather comfortable as it used to be at the time of "the Kremlin elders" of Brezhnev's epoch but it can come to an end as at Saddam Hussein.
Аnatoly Baranov
