NukeWatch: Russia

Russia, scarcely able to secure its existing nuclear arsenal, is continuing its move to acquire new nuclear weapons.  Employing his brand of inimitable Cold War crypto-speak, Putin offered the following details:

"I am sure that in the near future weapons will appear... which other nuclear powers do not and will not possess,” he said.

Comforting.  For those keeping score, the last time that Putin intimated that Russia was moving to expand and enrich his nuclear arsenal (see this ObWi post), the smart money favored a "revival of Soviet designs for nuclear warheads that zigzag on their final approach to a target, confusing missile defenses." According to Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent Russian military analyst, "research on zigzagging warheads began in the 1980s in response to Ronald Reagan's ‘Star Wars’ program.”

Clearly, Russia's renewed interest in new nuclear missiles has absolutely nothing to do with our withdrawal from the ABM treaty, or our plans to build a missile shield.  It's to defend against Chechen terrorists.  Yeah, that's the ticket.

In other news, Stephen Hadley -- author of A Call to Deploy, which argued in favor of deploying a robust national missile defense shield -- has been promoted to National Security Advisor. 

Comments

[John Thullen]

I wonder, too, if the Russia expert promoted to Secretary of State predicted this.

I mean, we're not going to uncover a memo entitled "Zigzagging Russian Nuclear Missiles Will Hit Major American City in September", are we?

Or will that memo be considered vague and a rehash of historical intelligence .. like the memo entitled "Tall, Bearded, Muslim Fanatic (initials O.B.L.) Orders Destruction of American Targets With Hijacked Passenger Airliners"?

[Anarch]

I'm reminded of Terry Pratchett's "Pyramids" at this point. Our military's going to have the best goddamn wooden horses money can buy...

[Josh]

Russia, scarcely able to secure its existing nuclear arsenal, is continuing its move to acquire new nuclear weapons.

Well of course they're going to acquire new nuclear weapons. They have to replace the ones that have been stolen.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

[victor falk]

Wooden horses?

Nah, more like horses build out of Technetium* with square wheels.

Anarch: Pyramids was the first Pratchett book I read, and one of the best. It was a long time ago. Must read it again, thx for reminding me.

*scroll down to "group seven"

[leigh]

why are you gay

[leigh]

are you gay?