Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Top Spy Says US Bases Threaten Russia

Flash to Ambassador Fried! After your remarks rejecting Russian self-determination, according to the Moscow News, Russia wants to close US bases in the former Soviet Union because they may pose a threat:
Russia’s foreign spy chief said military forces from other countries deployed at bases along Russia’s periphery are a threat to the nation, the Associated Press news agency reported Monday.

In comments that appeared directed at U.S. forces deployed on bases in former Soviet countries, the agency quoted Sergei Lebedev, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, as saying that Russia no longer had a “main adversary” like during the Cold War.

But “Russians cannot help but be concerned about new military bases and military contingents being deployed around our country,” he was quoted as saying.

Russia has watched warily as the United States deployed forces to the Central Asian countries of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and strengthened military and political ties with Ukraine and Georgia. Also, the three Baltic nations of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania joined NATO in 2004 despite Moscow’s strong objections.