Admiral Mullen Pleads For Co-operation With Russia
By Steve Hynd Tuesday Sep 23, 2008 7:00am
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has disagreed fundamentally with John McCain's saber-rattling against Russia and at the same time put himself in opposition to all of the civilian leadership of the Bush administration except perhaps his boss, Bob Gates.
"I believe we've got to have a relationship with Russia," Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in Los Angeles.
"I don't believe we should discontinue engagement on the military side because that relationship is going to be very important in the future," Mullen said.
..."We need to approach this in a measured way and do it in a way that recognizes we have mutual interests with Russia," he told a gathering organized Town Hall Los Angeles, a nonprofit group that sponsors debates on topical issues.
Mullen's measured remarks chimed with comments last week by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who said Russia did not pose a threat on a par with the Soviet Union.
They stand in contrast to harsher rhetoric from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and particularly Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, who has said Russia would face severe consequences for its actions in Georgia.
One of the areas where Mullen said the US and Russia must continue co-operation is nuclear non-proliferation, including safeguarding loose nuclear materials which might fall into the hands of terrorists.
However, the Bush administration doesn't think that's as important as tough talk for domestic consumption.
Some high-level meetings have been postponed indefinitely, including a trip to Russia by John Rood, the acting undersecretary of State for arms control and international security, to discuss various security issues and to negotiate a new pact to replace the existing Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START.
And the congressionally appointed Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism has been asked to not go on its upcoming fact-finding visit to Moscow.
Hat tip to Cheryl Rofer at WhirledView, who notes that START I is due to expire at the end of 2009. It provides the only means by which the Moscow Treaty, which limits the number of nuclear warheads Russia and the U.S. can posses, can be verified. But the neocons wanted an excuse to dump START - they hate treaties - and this hasty excuse of the Georgia conflict is just more convenient than outright abrogating it with no cause.
Then there's that Congressional factfinding trip. That's just as outrageous as the Commission was set up "to build on the work of the 9/11 Commission ... to assess our nation’s progress in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism."
The Bush administration (and John McCain) need to be asked which they think is more important: petty diplomatic posturing- when even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs thinks Russia/US co-operation is crucial to US national security - or the threat of unsecured nuclear material falling into terrorist hands.
Crossposted from Newshoggers
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The republicans need external threats to obtain and maintain political power. They probably view terrorists obtaining nuclear materials as a feature rather than a problem. Think of all the power they'd gain...
There is no more important relationship, than the one with Russia, talking about "perhaps" going to war with them over the territorial integrity of Georgia is insanity .
John McCain is a dangerous man. Insiders in DC have known this for a long time. His collegues and close personal associates KNOW about his hot temper and too-quick-to-judgement gut reactions to developing situations. Recently even top Republican and Conservative "talking heads" in the media are starting to say this publicly.
Oddly enough, Russia seems to be either unaware or not very interested in the saber rattling that is going on here. Russia has made it clear that both the President and Prime Minister consider the US to be playing games merely for internal politics and not to be taken seriously. I see little threat of war as Russia seems to be blowing the US off altogether.
The key question, however, remains "Can he see Russia from his house?"
Bailout America with IMPEACHMENT now !!!!!!!!!
well DUH, anything other than a relationship (with any country) invites the possibility of war and death and destruction for some/all parties.
There are some blood thirsty generals out there, who put career and glorty above common sense,
but sometimes it takes a general with experience of and who has studied the history warfare to tell politicians that war is bad.
Its the rabid asymmetrical warfare generals like Boykin that love the death and destruction, they seem to enjoy the infliction they can cause.
Bless you, Admiral Mullen! Thank god there's someone at the top who 'gets it' and understands that the Cold War is over.
The Soviet Union lost. It doesn't mean we won. What it does mean, is that its time to throw out the black-and-white thinking (which wasn't all that useful during the Cold War either) for good.
It's pretty sickening to me to see this whole automatic knee-jerk rallying behind Georgia (who actually initiated the violence, no doubt emboldened by McCain and other neocons). And it's very worrying to see what's going on in Ukraine right now. The "Orange Revolution" meant that the people there refused to become another Belarus. Not that they wanted to be another Poland. Karl Rove went there. Cheney went there. Lieberman went there. What are they up to? No doubt pushing/persuading president Yushchenko into following US interests rather than Russian ones. Which is a very dangerous game. I think they're undermining Yushchenko (the cracks are becoming apparent) and trying to push the Ukranians farther 'westward' than they're prepared to go.
Republican leaders have looooong been well aware of the recent study suggesting that people who scare easily tend to be conservatives. Russia is just their latest "BOO!!!!"
Wesley E. Ledgennes @ 3:
Conservative Malcolm Rifkind (in the UK) way back in 90s upset WcCain at a meeting, who almost punched him out (or would have tried).
WcCain had to be dragged back from him, this is reported by fellow Repugs who were there.
Russia is very big and powerful. They are down but not out. In street talk "Don't fuck with them".
Bush and McCain are total fuckups. They should not have any sort of power at all except maybe local dogcatcher.
It sound as if Mullen fears China more than he does Russia.
"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer".
Of course John Bush doesn't need a treaty or an arms verification trip.
We All Know Russia is the enemy. And how dare you peasants question us!
Wesley E. Ledgennes @ 3:
See article by George Will, when he says your nuts, your nuts.
My favourite kind of mushrooms:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II0oYJGnrYQ
As a left-leaning-pinko, dirty-fcking-Hippie, Birkenstock-wearing, Brit type liberal I got a shock when my bro' told me that the finest traditions of democracy and equality come from the US military. The concepts of racial equality (Tuskegee airmen, mixed-race regiments, etc.), pay and advancement by merit, the embrace of responsibility and commensurate accountability, safety & quality standards, advancements in teaching and education, not to mention patriotism and ethics; all of these things have had a firm root-spring in the USA courtesy of the military. Eisenhower might be a good case in point. THERE was an adult. So even as a non-USA citizen, I salute the honest Joes'... and pointedly exclude the "Yee-haw" mercenaries and para-military scum hiding behind the alphabet soup of the NSA, CIA, et. al.
13 Radically Moderate Says: It sound as if Mullen fears China more than he does Russia.
“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer”.
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Can I spray some deoderant on them first?
No flourocarbons, promise...
ashton @ 4:
Well, they're not fools.
15 Steveazi Says: Wesley E. Ledgennes @ 3:
John McCain is a dangerous man. Insiders in DC have known this for a long time. His collegues and close personal associates KNOW about his hot temper and too-quick-to-judgement gut reactions to developing situations. Recently even top Republican and Conservative “talking heads” in the media are starting to say this publicly.
See article by George Will, when he says your nuts, your nuts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TA3c1YqCiI
they russian make some fine hooch, though their smokes suck.
ashton @ 4:
I see little threat of war as Russia seems to be blowing the US off altogether.
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Kinda like sarah and mcgramps?
keep the vodka flowin boys.
-John Bonham
Let's have a pool on which neo-kkkon pundit will be the first to call Admiral Mullen a traitor.
I pick Doughy Pantload by the end of this week.
Promote responsible leadership here and admit Russia into NATO.
Fuck mcsame and depose all domestic enemies.
Is that a picture of us after January with McCain/Palin?
another round for me and whitey.
-billy martin
What a nation of winers! Don't worry, Palin met all kids of foreign leaders in a whirlwind experience tour of the U.N.
One of them thought she was charming, intelligent. Now, we have the kind of world leader to make Putin get on his knees. I wonder what see will see in his eyes. Nice Siberian trophy for the White House walls somewhere!
21 wheeee Says: they russian make some fine hooch, though their smokes suck.
Is palin a hoochie mamma?
ysbaddaden @ 18:
By all means and with my compliment.
Yellow Elephant Safari @ 24:
Flush Dimbulb has three hours of empty space to fill every day, my money is on him.
Speaking of Condoleezza Rice, where the fuck is she these days? She's been oddly quiet as the world slowly disintegrates around us (North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. etc.) Jesus, we actually PAY her?
The Soviet Union wanted to take over the world. Russia merely wanted its former possessions back. In terms of U.S. interests, there's a big difference there!!!!
A pissing contest with Russia will not help us in any way. McCain/Palin are reckless and irresponsible to talk tough about Russia. Only diplomacy will solve this. The GOP doesn't do diplomacy. They don't even know the meaning of the word any longer. God, they are stupid!
That picture just screams,
"Oops...my bad..."
Did Carl Jung ever sing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDk2KtIMeUc
?
We may fundamentally disagree on the utility of nuclear power, what's actually going on in Iran and a host of other issues I suspect but I agree with this post 100 percent. Extend this to China, India and hopefully Pakistan and there remains some hope for containing nuclear proliferation. It is in every nation's interest to do so. McCain resurrection of the Russian bogeymen is foolish.
Here is a real leader of the military trying to talk realistically to politicos with their heads in the sand. Hopefully in the next few months BUSHCo does not destroy the world and we have a chance to re-establish links to the world outside the narrow minded circle of the neo-cons.
Bush has damaged about every good thing that has occurred over the past century. Business, financial, military, humanitarian, national infrastructure, educational, health care, industry, employment every last aspect of a modern society has been damaged by BushCo!!!
What a shame it is to allow this person to continue without facing a judge and jury. If only the Democrats had real leadership instead of book writers.
“I don’t believe we should discontinue engagement on the military side because that relationship is going to be very important in the future,” Mullen said.
Future? Republicans believe these to be the end times, there is no future. If that's Mullen's best argument against the zealots, then we are in more trouble then I have realized.
36 Peter G Says: McCain resurrection of the Russian bogeymen is foolish
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I dunno
I'm still scared of the boogy-man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mepFmJNqsus
I suggest people read the September 25 New York Review of Books article by George Friedman about Russia and Georgia and the balance of power. It is a clear, concise no bullshit exposition of the issue that tells it like it is. One can easily infer from the article that the U.S. would be pretty pissed if Russia was urging a revanchist Mexico to take back Texas (which they can have as far as I'm concerned) Arizona, New Mexico, California and much of Utah and Colorado. Georgia has been within Russian for most of its history, centuries before the Soviet Union existed as has Ukraine and several of the other nations that the U.S. is trying to sneak into NATO. George H.W. Bush and Clinton both promised Russia in the 1990s they would not allow former Soviet satellites into NATO and both Presidents broke their promises. Russia has reason to be paranoid about our Neocon Foreign policy but Russia is not Iraq. Russia actually has WMDs, thousands of them and the means to deliver them anywhere in the world. McCain's saber rattling stupidity is dangerous, delusional and unacceptable.
Alexdem @ 8:
I had my picture taken with Tony Hillerman. Does that make me a mystery writer? Yes? Yayyyyy, I'm rich and famous!!
BTW, this week I spoke w/a male friend and a co-worker, both conservative, and each of them said something to the effect of "Palin will push McCain and make him do what needs to be done," as if they were some old married couple or something!
What's your feminist analysis of this, anyone?
My biggest fear is that Palin can see Canada from one of those windows.
Severe consequences for its actions in Georgia? Is that a joke? Putin knows as does every other country, Iran, that the US military is stretched to the breaking point fighting in Iraq and Afganistan there will be no consequences, at least not from the US military. McCain and Rice are both nitwits for even saying that!
sedum @ 43:
Quick, crotch the weed man...
Russia knows that our saber rattling poses no threat, because of our being overextended in Iraq and Afghanistan. That's why they made their moves in Georgia. I think Obama realizes this, and McCain does not. Obama is therefore the view that is more in touch with reality. McCain wants a state of permanent war, which will destroy this country.
Take a long hard look at that photo people... Cause that's exactly where a McCain/Palin administration will take us...... The pair of them together are about as scary a ticket as I've seen in this nation EVER... And yea, that includes chimpy's daddy and Quayle too..... That ticket was Mutt and Jeff to these two who amount to a Strangelove/Ripper ticket...... Think about it.... Their true colors are on display... Their words already betray their real intentions... They are both myopic hawkish egomaniacs hungry for more power they nether deserve nor know how to manage.... Exactly who you don't want in charge of anything at this particular time in history. IF ever this world and nation needed thoughtful cerebral statesmen in charge instead of the charlatan lyin baby kissin money stealin politicians we have.. Now would be that time.... JD
Americans better stop to be georgians,because it`s dangerous,and people will eat ties
http://www.eran.ru
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