Around Russia

Dream of reason ... nowhere deeper

February 4, 2009 Alexander Golts

In the Russian mass unconscious and in foreign policy, which set itself the main goal of the formation of this mass unconscious, amazing, I would say, clinical, changes. Here is the information picture of only one day - February 3. The day began with two articles. The text in the “independent” was compiled in such a way that the sensation was obtained: the representative of the State Department of Matthew Braise allegedly threatened Moscow to place the US military bases in Georgia in response to the deployment of Russian military facilities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. And Kommersant , referring to its own sources, argued that on the day of negotiations of the Kyrgyz president with the Russian colleague it would be announced the closure of the American base of the Manas Air Force. Then the message was followed by the presiders of Russia and Belarus of the Agreement on the creation of a unified regional air defense system, which would provide joint protection of the two countries from the insidious airborne impact of NATO. The day ended with a short demonstrations of the Kyrgyz President Bakiev, who rather confusedly explained that the Kyrgyz people demanded to close the American base, since they did not get away with Washington for money.

At first glance, it may seem that in full accordance with the Kremlin Realpolitik, the territory of the former USSR turned into the notorious “large chessboard”, on which battles unfold between Moscow and Washington. The only problem is that in this party a single player plays a complex party with himself. The Obama Presidential Administration is engaged in such insignificant issues as the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, the achievement of victory in Afghanistan and the cessation of Iranian missile program, which exactly on February 3 announced the launch of his own satellite. The White House is not up to the Kremlin. It's time to play something anti-American.

Here Russia is concentrated on creating Washington either real or purely fictional nasty things. Of course, Matthew Braise did not say any nonsense about the placement of American bases in Georgia. This was announced by such an unconditionally authoritative source as the Kavkaz-Press news agency. But none of the Russian colleagues, who quoted this nonsense all day, took the work of checking if Braise said something about the creation of American bases. Why? The same thing: Moscow and Washington play one game, trying to turn the territory of Georgia into their military bridgehead.

With a single Russian-Belarusian air defense system and that is more curious. This ball Moscow and Minsk have been rolled for ten years. Joint declarations about intent were adopted without a number. Three times they tried to sign the final document. But each time the clever Alexander Grigoryevich safely eluded the Moscow embrace, taking a couple of hundred million dollars as loans. In fact, what are the scores between relatives. It’s just tactless to talk about some miserable dollars (a million barrels are more, a million million-which, to hell, the difference) when it comes to a saint. About the protection of the homeland from the damned NATO. But then, it seems, the great happened. And Mr. Lukashenko signed the necessary document. True, here he tried to bargain, saying that the Air Defense Agreement should be “considered in the same package with a set of measures to deepen military-technical cooperation”. At the same time, he emphasized that "there have been a lot of problems that require joint discussion and development of optimal solutions." That is, he again asked a little more money. Then he retired without comment.

The essence of the agreement became known exclusively from the words of the assistant of the Russian president for international affairs Mr. Prikhodko. It turned out that it was decided to allocate as many as 5 aviation, 10 anti-aircraft missiles, 5 radio-technical parts and one part of the electronic warfare. That is, according to the most optimistic calculations of 50-70 combat aircraft and a hundred launchers of anti-aircraft missiles. A great fantasy is required to seriously say that someone with these forces and means seriously believes to confront NATO, which even in the Yugoslav operation used more than half a hundred combat aircraft.

Moreover, as far as one can understand, no unification is happening at all now (Lukashenko is extremely careful when it comes to the subordination of the Belarusian troops to Moscow). The combined command is supposed to be created only in the "threatened period."

Finally, the sensational statement of the Kyrgyz president on the closure of the American aviation base, which Moscow stubbornly achieved for the past two years. In 2006, all complex intrigues failed after the arrival of the then US Minister of Defense Donald Ramsfeld, who simply offered a little more money. I have a strong suspicion that this time it will end that Washington will increase the amount of payment. But at the same time it would be interesting to know what, in fact, Russia achieves. After all, if you call a spade a spade, the US troops and other NATO countries in Afghanistan ensure the safety of Russia. Suppose that the intrigue was a success, the Manas air base is closed, the supply of troops in Afghanistan was interrupted. As a result, the Americans turn the operation. The victorious Taliban immediately begin to move to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. With all the consequences for Russia. I only remind you that in 2000, our General Staff planned to deploy a 60 thousandth group in the south direction to fend out a threat from Afghanistan.

What did Moscow achieve in only one day - February 3? Minsk bowed to the signing of anything that did not mean and force Bishkek to announce the intention to close the US air base. The asset is from the dead donkey ears. In the liability - damage to their own, not American, security. But then - the pleasing of its own inferiority complex, the feeling that Moscow plays on equal terms with Washington.