Russians III. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

Here is a whole series of extracts from the blog Cuban Colada concerning the proposed and suggested renewed use of Cuban soil for Russian military adventures. Primarily refueling of long-range aviation assets of the Russian Air Force. Bomber aircraft of the "Bear" and "Blackjack persuasion.

"Izvestia (sort of) recants tale of bombers"

"The Russian newspaper Izvestia reluctantly conceded it had been misled when it published a report that Russian bombers might use Cuba as a refueling stop."

"Another call for a renewed 'presence'"

"Col. Gen. Leonid Ivashov, a former Russian Defense Ministry official and currently the president of the Academy of Geopolitical Affairs, on Monday said a renewed Russian military presence in Cuba would be a suitable response to pressure from the United States"

"Castros will nix Russian arms, paper says"

"The Russian newspaper Kommersant on Monday poured cold water on calls for a Russian military presence in Cuba, saying that 'the Castro brothers are displeased over Russian politicians discussing a deployment of military facilities in Cuba without asking Havana.'"

"Ex-envoy: 'Renewed presence' is bluff"

"Recent reports that Russia wants to reestablish a military presence in Cuba are bluff leaked by Moscow, believes Wayne Smith, chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana from 1979 to 1982."

"How the Cuba bomber flap evolved"

"Lost in the unfolding controversy about the possible deployment of nuclear-capable strategic bombers in Cuba is an explanation of how the flap began."

"Col. Gen. Leonid Ivashov, pointed out Cuba could be used as 'an auxiliary airport for refueling,' the same way Russia now uses the Cape Verde islands."

"Russia calls pit-stop reports 'a hoax'"

"Reports that Russian bombers might use Cuba as a refueling base are 'disinformation,' a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday."

"Fidel urges prudence in bomber flap"

"Stay cool, seemed to say Fidel Castro in his latest 'reflection', published Thursday in the official daily Granma under the title Machiavellian strategy . . . in connection with the eventual installation of bases for Russian strategic bombers"

"White House: Russia is no threat"

"Following is an exchange Tuesday between reporters and White House spokesperson Dana Perino on the subject of the Izvestia report:
Q.: Dana, did you look into the report about the Russian bombers in Cuba?
A.: Yes, it appears to be just speculation and hypotheticals right now."

"General cautions Moscow on Cuba flights"

"Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz warned that Russia would cross 'a red line' if it used Cuba as a refueling stop for strategic nuclear bombers . . . 'I certainly would offer best military advice that we should engage the Russians not to pursue that approach.'"

"Fears of a Cuba crisis emerge"

"Now that rumors are circulating that Russia may be planning to base or re-fuel long-range strategic bombers in Cuba or Venezuela, experts are beginning to sound the alarm about a possible future crisis over Cuba."

"Izvestia: Russia sees Cuba as landing strip"

"Russia is considering sending long-range bombers to Cuba in response to Washington's intentions to deploy an antimissile shield in eastern Europe, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reported Monday"

"Recants" - - "been misled" - - "will nix" - - "bluff" - - "a hoax" - - "disinformation" - - "stay cool" - - "no threat"!

A lot of hot air is being bandied about? For no real purpose but creating a lot of concern where none is warranted. And all because the decision has been made to place an anti-ballistic system in eastern Europe, within NATO territory! An anti-ballistic system to be used solely against a so far imaginary Iranian missile threat, yet to materialize!

coolbert.

Russians II.

This is coolbert:

From a Chicago Tribune op-ed piece dated this last Friday.

"Another Russian thrust"

"Fifteen years after a breakup that ended with both parties reeling, Cuba and Russia are rediscovering that old magic - - the heady satisfaction that comes from keeping American's defense warriors up at night."

The Russian military is contemplating a return to the bad-old-days? A resurgent and awash-with-petro-dollars Russia will once again station military units in Cuba? Or at least use Cuban facilities as staging areas or refueling sites?

The Russian military is considering:

* "reopen a radar listening center in Cuba that was used to intercept U.S. communications until 2001"
* "Cuba's harbors could be a convenient place to park Russian combat ships."
* "nuclear capable bombers could be based or at least refueled at Cuban airfields."

This "radar listening center" was the Lourdes complex. Twenty five square miles of electronics, antenna farms, etc., specifically targetiting American communications, civilian, governmental, and military.

Nuclear capable bombers presumbably would include those of the "Bear" and "Blackjack" variety.

All of this is, according to the Russians:

"a suitable response to U.S. plans to install a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic."

Missiles in Poland, radars in the Czech Republic. TO COUNTER AN IRANIAN THREAT, NOT A RUSSIAN THREAT!!

Once again, further indications that a new "Cold War" is already afoot!

coolbert.

Cubanos!

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago Tribune today:

“Around the World”

“Castro counter McCain on torture”

“Havana” - -

“Ailing leader Fidel Castro on Monday denied U.S. presidential hopeful John McCain’s claim that Cuban agents helped torture American prisoners of war [POW] in Vietnam in the 1960’s, calling the assertion ‘a strange legend.’”

“Castro’s Essay: ‘Let me remind you, Mr. McCain: The commandments of the religion you practice prohibit lying,’ Castro wrote in an essay published by the Communists Party newspaper Granma. ‘The years in prison and the wounds received because of the attacks on Hanoi do not excuse you from the moral obligation of the truth.’"

“McCain, GOP front-runner for the the November presidential contest, was held [as a POW] for five years in North Vietnam.”

[Fidel Castro is hardly one to lecture or admonish anyone about lying or other immoral behavior!!!]

What are we talking about here?

It has been over thirty years [1973] now since the American POW’s being held at the Hanoi Hilton were released by the North Vietnamese. Almost exclusively aviators, shot down while on bombing missions against military targets over North Vietnam. Captured, imprisoned, tortured into revealing information, make “confessions”, sign “statements”, etc.

Including John McCain. Shot down, badly injured from bailing out of his downed aircraft, refused medical treatment from the North Vietnamese.

Then subjected to further excruciating torture. Even beyond what was suffered from the shoot down.

[I think McCain suffered broken arms and broken collar-bones. Maybe worse than that??!! McCain during the 2000 election primaries stated that his VA medical casebook consisted of 300 pages, mostly documenting surgeries he has had to correct, over the years, a variety of problems stemming from the bailout injuries and subsequent torture!]

A fate quite common for those imprisoned at the “Hanoi Hilton”. Called the Hilton because it WAS NO HILTON.

The assertion has been made even from the time of the Vietnam War, that Cuban interrogators DID participate in the torture of American POW’s. NOT solely at the “Hanoi Hilton” either. American POW’s held by the Viet Cong [VC] in South Vietnam also reported the presence of “Cubans”. Persons described as SPANISH SPEAKING WHITE MEN!!

I can offer a suggestion as to who these SPANISH SPEAKING WHITE MEN WERE!!

NOT necessarily Cubans. What ethnic Russians would refer to as ninos’ [children in Spanish].

According to John Barron: [speaking here of the KGB officer Oleg Nechiporenko]

"Slender and darkly handsome . . . with his wavy black hair and olive complexion looked utterly Latin. Indeed, Mexican authorities theorized that he was either the child of Spanish communists who had fled to Russia after the Spanish civil War or perhaps the son of a Russian father and a Spanish mother . . . His Spanish was flawless, he spoke the idioms of laborers, diplomats, and students"

And according to Victor Suvorov:

"During the Civil War in Spain thousands of Spanish children were evacuated to the Soviet Union. The exact number . . . is not known . . . As young men they soon became cadets at Soviet military schools . . . they were evacuated [after the Battle of Stalingrad] to the Urals and Siberia, where the Spanish Communist Party . . . organized special schools for them. From then on references to Spanish children appeared very rarely in the Soviet press . . . One of the special schools . . . was known as the E.D. Stasova International School. Some graduates of this school later turned up in Fidel Castro's personal bodyguard, some became leading figures in the Cuban intelligence service - - the most aggressive in the world [that is saying a lot!!!!!] . . . The second generation of Spaniards is used by the Soviet government in many ways for operations abroad."

These Spanish-speaking-white-men encountered by American POW's in Vietnam may have very well been Soviet citizens - - ninos' - - offspring of those original Spanish children evacuated to the Soviet Union during the Spanish Civil War??

Does any of this mean that John McCain is lying about being tortured by “Cubans”? [I do not know if McCain was personally mistreated by SPANISH SPEAKING WHITE MEN!!] NO!! A lie is only when you tell an untruth and know it to be an untruth at the exact moment you are saying it.

Again, Fidel Castro is hardly a man to be lecturing someone about “lying”!!

coolbert.