Russia Ready To Use Nuclear Weapons: Pentagon's Top Russia Expert - By Polina Tikhonova - http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/11/russia-ready-to-use-nuclear-weapons-2/
With Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering his security council to develop defensive nuclear equipment, the Pentagon says Moscow is poised to use nuclear weapons to "bring a speedy peace."
Evelyn Farkas, who quit the position of Pentagon's top policy expert on Russia just hours ago, urged the Obama administration to consider sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, deploying permanent contingent of ground troops in Eastern Europe, making the European Reassurance Initiative permanent, and supplying more military equipment to countries neighboring with Russia.
Farkas' comments come amid news that NATO will station some 4,000 combat troops in countries bordering Russia. Both American and Russia experts say the move has a high chance to escalate the risk of a war in Europe and a military confrontation between the world's two largest nuclear powers: the U.S. and Russia.
A war involving NATO, the U.S. and Russia "would probably spell, if not the end of humanity, the end of any possibility of a comfortable future for humanity," as reported by ValueWalk, citing Press TV's interview with Don DeBar, U.S. political analyst.
Russia is much more reckless with nuclear weapons than Soviet Union
"We have to continue reassuring, but we have to do one better, we actually have to deter," Farkas told reporters at a Defense Writers' Group breakfast today, as reported by Breaking Defense.
Farkas dismisses claims that say we are back in the Cold War, because first of all, Russia is not the Soviet Union, the Russian economy is not strong enough and the Russians are "brittle politically," Farkas said. However, she added that it "doesn't mean they're not a danger."
Compared to the Soviet Union, modern Russia is smaller in its size but it's much more sophisticated technologically and militarily. "They are our peers when it comes to cyber," Farkas said. She added that today's Russia is also much more reckless and dangerous than Leonid Brezhnev's Politburo when it comes to "nuclear saber-rattling."
In the Cold War era, both Russia and the U.S. had a "healthy" respect for the horrific and destructive power of nuclear weapons, and viewed them as means of the last resort. But Putin's Russian military follows a paradoxical doctrine of "escalate to deescalate," which means Moscow would easily use nuclear weapons to "bring a speedy peace." A mere thought about it is "highly alarming," according to the Pentagon's top expert on Russia.
Russia is the only country in the world with the nuclear capability to destroy the U.S., according to Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley, as reported by ValueWalk on Tuesday.
The General also views Russia as "aggressive" and "adversarial to the interests of the United States," which is why Moscow's nuclear weapons are capable of destroying the U.S.
Milley warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent behavior suggests Moscow would be willing to use nuclear weapons. The General also noted that Russia has been violating "the Westphalian order" ever since it started invading "sovereign nations" in 2008.
Putin broke NATO-Russia agreement
The reason Farkas quit the Pentagon was "personal reasons," which is understandable for someone who has spent three intense years working in an administration that becomes weaker day by day.
Farkas recently went beyond the current party line by proposing a policy on Russia that is much more rough than what the Obama administration publicly endorses. Over the three years working with the Obama administration, Farkas has grown frustrated over a number of things.
"Here I'll go out on a limb beyond what [the] administration would say: The NATO-Russia framework agreement is broken. The Russians broke it," she said. The NATO-Russia agreement, signed in 1997, obliged all parties to respect the "sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity" of European states, such as Georgia and Ukraine.
Russia has broken the agreement two times over the past 7 years: first in Georgia in 2008 and then in Ukraine in 2014 by annexing Crimea and sending its troops in eastern Ukraine.
"Russia's broken it but somehow we are and our allies have decided that we're going to keep up with the letter of it even, although maybe not the spirit," she said.
Under the NATO-Russia agreement, the Alliance foreswore "additional permanent stationing of substantial combat forces." Farkas said US European Command has to consider the possibility of U.S. forces stationed permanently in eastern allies like Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
U.S. has to encircle Russia to reassure Europe
But Farkas noted that it's not only European allies Washington has to reassure to prevent Russia's aggression. Former nations of the Soviet empire require U.S. military assistance against Putin's increasing pressure, too, according to the Pentagon expert.
"I was very excited to see this past week Secretary [of State] Kerry go through Central Asia," Farkas said. "We need more high-level attention being paid to the countries that feel directly threatened by Russia.... not just Ukraine but Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan... The countries around the periphery of Russia, they need our political attention. They also need our economic assistance and they need our military assistance [to] deter Russia."
The Kremlin has repeatedly warned the U.S. against encircling the country by stationing its troops all around Russia's periphery.
Farkas also commented on the Pentagon's investments to counter Russian capability. "I want to actually commend Deputy Secretary [Robert] Work because he really took on the challenge of how do we better deter Russia, very seriously and I would say aggressively," she said and added that Work does his best to direct funding to deterring Russia in FY16 and FY17.
Russian military surge in Syria: More helicopters, first "volunteer" combatants - www.debka.com
After the downing of the Russian airliner over Sinai on Oct. 31, Moscow moved into positon to lead the offensive against the Islamic State in Syria. The Russian air force transferred a large number of assault helicopters out of its enclave in Latakia province over to two Syrian air bases east of Homs on the front lines against ISIS, debkafile's military sources report. From the T4 (Tiyas) and Shayrat Airbases, the Russian command will lead the battle against the Islamic State over Homs, a city of one million inhabitants and the hub of central-eastern Syria. As the Russians move over from air strikes to the offensive against ISIS, they know their combat helicopters are now exposed to being shot down.
Homs came under direct threat on Nov. 1, when Islamic State forces captured the village of Mahin south of the city, cutting down the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Syrian army and Hezbollah forces standing in their path and inflicting heavy casualties. Control of Mahin opened the way for ISIS and Syrian rebels to reach the southern suburbs of Homs and seize control of the strategic M5 Highway linking the city to Damascus.
Another group of Russian combat helicopters is now deployed at Hama Military Airport to block off the offensive ISIS and the Nusra Front are preparing to launch in the northern Idlib Province. There too jihadist forces have made advances. On Nov. 5, they snatched from the Syrian army the strategic town of Morek which commands the routes from the north to central Syria.
According to intelligence reports from southern Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, more Russian combat helicopter units are under orders to stand ready for transfer to Syria. Moscow is evidently preparing to take over from the Iranians, the Syrians and Hezbollah the heavy-lifting of the war to stop further ISIS advances. More helicopters are needed to support this offensive if it is to go forward on all fronts.
Other intelligence sources report Russian "volunteer" units getting organized for departure to Syria from southern Russia and eastern Ukraine, detached from fighting alongside pro-Moscow separatists.
Their arrival in Syria would deepen Russia's military intervention in the Syrian conflict and also mark its first participation in ground combat, contradicting President Vladimir Putin's earlier pledge against putting Russian boots on the ground in Syria.
While intensifying the war on ISIS, the Kremlin is also pushing forward its plan for a political solution of the Syrian crisis, to be discussed at the forthcoming multinational conference in Vienna.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, a number of Western media claimed to "reveal" some of its key points, although the full seven-point blueprint was first published by DEBKA Weekly 684 on Oct. 30, under the heading:
Revealed: Russia's Syrian Peace Plan
1. Russia and Washington will draw up an agreed "target list" of parties standing out against a political resolution of the conflict. They are to be attacked jointly by US and allies and Russian forces. The proposal does not go into the nature of a bilateral mechanism for determining who figures on the "target list."
Moscow would really prefer the Russian and the US-led coalition air forces not to confine their attacks to ISIS, but extend them also to Syrian rebel groups. Russia could then refute US and NATO allegations that only one out of every nine Russian air strikes is directed against an ISIS target, with the majority aimed at Syrian rebel groups.
As DEBKA Weekly reported in its previous issue, the Obama administration did not reject a priori the proposed US-Russian air force collaboration in Syria and Iraq, but requested additional clarifications from Moscow.
2. Moscow proposes an immediate cease-fire on all Syrian army-rebel warfronts. The proposal does not say if it should apply to the foreign forces fighting in the country, such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian militias and the Russians themselves.
3. Once the cease-fire goes into effect, all the parties and organizations involved in the war will be convened for a national dialogue. This round-table conference will have three main goals:
A. Release of all prisoners and hostages held by the various sides.
B. Preparation of parliamentary and presidential elections with a general amnesty for political prisoners.
C. Establishment of a new government committed to implementing agreed constitutional reforms that center on the transfer of presidential powers from Assad to the designated prime minister.
In other words, Assad will not be made to step down as president at once, but will have to give up his presidential powers, including control of the military and intelligence services.
It is assumed that Putin put this clause before the Syrian ruler in Moscow as a diktat he had no choice but to accept.
4. The Russian president offers a personal guarantee that Assad will not be permitted to run for president in the coming elections, but he has accepted the Syrian ruler's proviso that members of his family and ruling caste will be eligible for election.
5. All the rebel groups and militias that take part in implementing the Russian plan will be absorbed into Syria's military or other security services and place themselves under their orders.
6. Governments and other bodies outside Syria will undertake to halt weapons supplies to all combatant forces. This provision applies not only to the US and Saudi Arabia with regard to rebel groups, but also to Russia and Iran as sponsors of the Syrian army.
7. Russia will continue to maintain military force in Syria as security for the agreement's full implementation, contingent on UN Security Council endorsement of its presence.
Russia said to deploy advanced missile system in Syria - http://www.timesofisrael.com/russia-deploys-sophisticated-missile-system-in-syria/
Report claims Moscow put S-400 missile battery in Latakia, capable of hitting targets 400 kilometers away
Moscow has reportedly deployed a sophisticated anti-aircraft system near the Syrian port city of Latakia capable of striking aircraft as far distant as Tel Aviv, the Daily Mail reported Friday.
The paper said that photos released by the Russian Defense Ministry appear to show installations at the Russian air base near Latakia belonging to the S-400 Air Defense System, known to NATO as SA-21 "Growler."
The photo of the radar installation in question, posted on the Defense Ministry Facebook page, is blurred by the exhaust of a Russian military aircraft. It is part of a series of photographs posted from a recent media visit to the Latakia air base.
The report could not be independently confirmed.
Certain versions of the missiles used in the S-400 Air Defense System have a maximum range of 400 kilometers (250 miles), placing much of northern and central Israel, as well as Cyprus, Lebanon and southern Turkey, in their range. The missile system is considered among the most advanced in the world, capable of targeting F-15, F-16 and potentially the sophisticated F-22 Raptor fighter jets.
It wasn't immediately clear what kinds of surface-to-air missiles Russia has deployed to Latakia.
The report came out as Russia increased its military presence in Syria as part of its air war to help bolster its ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad, and carry out strikes against Syrian rebel groups, including the Islamic State.
Last month, Israel and Russia arranged to coordinate their respective activities in Syrian airspace to prevent unwanted conflict and miscommunication. Since then, Israel has reportedly carried out two airstrikes on targets in Syria, the most recent one an alleged arms shipment earlier this week.
Earlier this week, Iran said it would receive most of the previous generation S-300 air defense missile systems it ordered from Russia by the end of the year, despite vocal opposition to the move by Israel.
"We signed a contract with Russia. It is being done. We will acquire a large portion of the systems by the end of this year," Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan told state television late Tuesday.
He said Iranian troops were being trained in Russia to operate the surface-to-air missile systems.
This week, the state-run Russian Technologies corporation Rostec announced the signing of a delivery contract in Tehran for S-300 missiles.
Russia will provide Iran with a "modernized and updated" version of the missile systems, following up on an initial contract signed in 2007, Rostec Director General Sergey Chemezov said in a statement.
One of the most sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons in the world, the S-300 is capable of tracking multiple planes at once, and some versions have an interception range of up to 200 kilometers.
Israel has long sought to block the sale to Iran of the S-300 system, which analysts say could impede a potential Israeli strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities. Other officials have expressed concern that the systems could reach Syria and Hezbollah, diluting Israel's regional air supremacy.
Russia initially agreed to sell the system to Iran in 2007 but then balked, saying at the time it was complying with a United Nations arms embargo on the Islamic Republic.
In April, shortly after the announcement of the Lausanne outline for the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, Russia announced it was lifting the ban on selling the advanced missile defense system to Iran, over American and Israeli objections.
In August, Iran and Russia announced that the system would be delivered by the end of the year, with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov saying at the time that "just technical details" remained to be agreed upon.
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