Obama Offered Deal to Russia in Secret Letter

Well now, Obama is ready to sell out some of our steadfast allies that have supported us in Iraq and Afghanistan. The move not only smacks of amateurism, it is dangerous. Is this how we will conduct our foreign policy, by sending notes back and forth to other nations?

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- President Obama sent a secret letter to Russia's president offering to retreat from deploying a missile defense system in Europe if Russia intensified its commitment to isolate Iran.

Moscow has not responded to the letter that was hand-delivered to President Dmitri Medvedev three weeks ago, The New York Times reported late Monday.

Russia has military, diplomatic and commercial ties to Tehran, and it has often resisted Washington’s hard line against Iran.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is set to meet Friday in Geneva with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Obama and Medvedev will meet for the first time on April 2 in London, according to the report.

The Bush administration's plans for the missile defense system include building a high-tech radar facility in the Czech Republic and deploying 10 interceptor missiles in Poland. Russia had proposed to install part of the system on its territory and jointly operate it so it could not be used against Russia, according to the Times.

jta.org...

It seems pretty clear that missile defence is dead anyway so bargaining away a dead program may be what is happening here.



[edit on 3/3/09 by FredT]

reply to post by FredT


When you say missile defense is dead, are you referring to the Obama administration's stance on missile defense? I.e., they were planning to kill it anyway?

Or are you saying it is outdated technology?

Originally posted by jsobecky
Well now, Obama is ready to sell out some of our steadfast allies that have supported us in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You think that you are selling out your allies (Poland and Czech Republic I assume) because US would scrap ABM shield plans on their territory? Here is a newsflash - the vast majority of people of Poland and Czech Republic never wanted this cursed ABM system on their land to begin with. They protested against it. It was the local politicians who sold themselves out, or should I say whored themselves out, to US. In actuality they would be relieved to see this idea scrapped and US move on.

The only nation that stood anything to gain from placing ABM intallations in Eastern Europe was the US, and even then the gains would be trivial at best.

Originally posted by jsobecky
The move not only smacks of amateurism, it is dangerous.

If Obama is an amateur then what was Bush? Were the START, and SALT, and ABM treaties signed during the Cold War also dangerous amateurism in your opinion?

What Obama, and for than matter Russia, are now trying to do is relieve the tension without losing face. That would be difficult of course. Who shall we thank for this tension? Those who ran the world as they pleased for the last 8 years.

Read up about the cancellation of the ABM Treaty by the Bush Administration. That treaty was in place for a reason.

en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by jsobecky
Is this how we will conduct our foreign policy, by sending notes back and forth to other nations?

If that's what it takes then be it. Pride and ego never yielded long-term progress, only short-term temporary plugs for problems. With collapsing global economy and impending political instability in Asia and even Europe, pride and ego should not take precedence over reason.

It always comes back to being President Bush's fault, doesn't it?

I thought Obama was all about transparency, now he's attempting to broker secret deals with Russia.

Those who know Russia know Russian leaders use the US as an adversary for political gain, when in reality, we are closer than most think. The Russian people expect the Kremlin, V. Putin, and D. Medvedev to take a hard link on the US. The only reason Russia is against the missile shield is because we want it. Their missile systems can 'outsmart' the missile shield. Standing up to the US makes Russia important. They just want to be a superpower again more than anything.
Those who know Russia and Russians also know Obama will never command the respect President Bush did.

Originally posted by stevegmu
It always comes back to being President Bush's fault, doesn't it?

Well he scraped the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and innitiated plans to build an ABM shield in Eastern Europe. So in this case it does.

Originally posted by stevegmu
Those who know Russia know Russian leaders use the US as an adversary for political gain, when in reality, we are closer than most think. The Russian people expect the Kremlin, V. Putin, and D. Medvedev to take a hard link on the US. The only reason Russia is against the missile shield is because we want it. Their missile systems can 'outsmart' the missile shield.

While what you say about Russian politicians is true, there is more to ABM system in Europe than that. Russia isn't scared of the currently proposed system, but what it could quickly evolve to.

Following is the reason for the original ABM Treaty limiting ABM capabilities, especially outside one's own country, of US and Russia:

"It was seen by many in the West as a key piece in nuclear arms control, being an implicit recognition of the need to protect the nuclear balance by ensuring neither side could hope to reduce the effects of retaliation to acceptable levels."

en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by stevegmu
Standing up to the US makes Russia important. They just want to be a superpower again more than anything.

Or perhaps Russia simply wants its interests to matter and be respected. This goes back to the 90's, and Russians' perception that US took the opportunity of being a sole superpower to do whatever it wanted, including attacking Serbia. Russia won't be a superpower like US is, and it knows it. This isn't about whose guns are bigger.

Originally posted by stevegmu
Those who know Russia and Russians also know Obama will never command the respect President Bush did.

You think Russia or Russians had any respect for Bush? Are you serious? Bush was a laughing stock in Russia. He commanded no respect, at least not from Russia, as far as Russian population is concerned.

Originally posted by maloy

Originally posted by stevegmu
I

You think Russia or Russians had any respect for Bush? Are you serious? Bush was a laughing stock in Russia. He commanded no respect, at least not from Russia, as far as Russian population is concerned.

Yes, actually, he was respected. Russians like leaders who are tough, plain spoken, and not scared to do what they think is best for the country. Nationalism is very big in Russia. They respected him as an adversary. He was thought of as a tough cowboy.

Originally posted by stevegmu
It always comes back to being President Bush's fault, doesn't it?

I thought Obama was all about transparency, now he's attempting to broker secret deals with Russia.

Those who know Russia know Russian leaders use the US as an adversary for political gain, when in reality, we are closer than most think. The Russian people expect the Kremlin, V. Putin, and D. Medvedev to take a hard link on the US. The only reason Russia is against the missile shield is because we want it. Their missile systems can 'outsmart' the missile shield. Standing up to the US makes Russia important. They just want to be a superpower again more than anything.
Those who know Russia and Russians also know Obama will never command the respect President Bush did.

I suppose you think BUSH was a wild success, and if you as wealthy as some of your statements sound I guess our opinion has some merit.


SECRET --

We are writing about it, very secret...

ANYWAYS RUSSIA knows MAD - If a couple of ten nukes were shotdown in the atmosphere you would soon realize you would have preferred the primary blast.

What About the WAR ON TERROR???

Did conservatives abandon the idea???

Originally posted by mental modulator
if you as wealthy as some of your statements sound I guess our opinion has some merit.

Oh goodness. It's the ol' ... if you are a conservative you must be rich and have a trophey wife. Very passe ... very funny.

Originally posted by jsobecky
Is this how we will conduct our foreign policy, by sending notes back and forth to other nations?

Yes. But usually we try to be on the winning end of an agreement.
Obviously in this case, we wouldn't be.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by mental modulator
if you as wealthy as some of your statements sound I guess our opinion has some merit.

Oh goodness. It's the ol' ... if you are a conservative you must be rich and have a trophey wife. Very passe ... very funny.

Originally posted by jsobecky
Is this how we will conduct our foreign policy, by sending notes back and forth to other nations?

Yes. But usually we try to be on the winning end of an agreement.
Obviously in this case, we wouldn't be.

NO - The guy seemed to think $250,000 was not a large sum of money to make in a year.

Originally posted by mental modulator

Originally posted by stevegmu
It always comes back to being President Bush's fault, doesn't it?

I thought Obama was all about transparency, now he's attempting to broker secret deals with Russia.

Those who know Russia know Russian leaders use the US as an adversary for political gain, when in reality, we are closer than most think. The Russian people expect the Kremlin, V. Putin, and D. Medvedev to take a hard link on the US. The only reason Russia is against the missile shield is because we want it. Their missile systems can 'outsmart' the missile shield. Standing up to the US makes Russia important. They just want to be a superpower again more than anything.
Those who know Russia and Russians also know Obama will never command the respect President Bush did.

I suppose you think BUSH was a wild success, and if you as wealthy as some of your statements sound I guess our opinion has some merit.


SECRET --

We are writing about it, very secret...

ANYWAYS RUSSIA knows MAD - If a couple of ten nukes were shotdown in the atmosphere you would soon realize you would have preferred the primary blast.

What About the WAR ON TERROR???

Did conservatives abandon the idea???

I have no idea what you are going on about.

President Bush's dealings with Russia concerning the war against terror were a success. Had he been President longer, Russia would have dropped the missile shield issue, in favor of some form of appeasement.

Originally posted by mental modulator
The guy seemed to think $250,000 was not a large sum of money to make in a year.

It depends on where you live. If you live in Alabama it's a bundle. If you live in NYC or LA or Chicago, etc etc then you are middle class and having to pinch pennies.