Taking aim at the United States, Russia’s defense minister Thursday threatened retaliatory steps if any country puts weapons in space and said Moscow won’t negotiate controls over tactical nuclear arms with nations that deploy them abroad, Russian media reported.
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While he mentioned no country by name, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov’s comments reflected persistent wariness over U.S. intentions, despite arms control deals and increased cooperation between the Cold War foes since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
“Russia’s position on this question has not changed for decades: We are categorically against the militarization of space,” the Interfax news agency quoted Ivanov as saying during a visit to the Baikonur space facility in Kazakhstan.
“If some state begins to realize such plans, then we doubtless will take adequate retaliatory measures,” ITAR-Tass quoted Ivanov as saying.
The comments came as the Bush administration reviews the U.S. space policy doctrine. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said last month the policy review was not considering the militarization of space. But he said U.S. satellites must be protected against new threats that he said have emerged since Washington’s space doctrine was last reviewed in 1996.
'Star Wars' Moscow’s concerns about space-based weapons go back to the Soviet-era space race and President Ronald Reagan’s 1980s plans for a “Star Wars” missile defense system.
In 2002, after the United States withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, China and Russia submitted a proposal for a new ban on weapons in outer space.
But the United States has said it sees no need for any new space arms control agreements. It is party to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits stationing weapons of mass destruction in space.
Taking aim at the United States, Russia’s defense minister Thursday threatened retaliatory steps if any country puts weapons in space and said Moscow won’t negotiate controls over tactical nuclear arms with nations that deploy them abroad, Russian media reported.
advertisement
While he mentioned no country by name, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov’s comments reflected persistent wariness over U.S. intentions, despite arms control deals and increased cooperation between the Cold War foes since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
“Russia’s position on this question has not changed for decades: We are categorically against the militarization of space,” the Interfax news agency quoted Ivanov as saying during a visit to the Baikonur space facility in Kazakhstan.
“If some state begins to realize such plans, then we doubtless will take adequate retaliatory measures,” ITAR-Tass quoted Ivanov as saying.
The comments came as the Bush administration reviews the U.S. space policy doctrine. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said last month the policy review was not considering the militarization of space. But he said U.S. satellites must be protected against new threats that he said have emerged since Washington’s space doctrine was last reviewed in 1996.
'Star Wars' Moscow’s concerns about space-based weapons go back to the Soviet-era space race and President Ronald Reagan’s 1980s plans for a “Star Wars” missile defense system.
In 2002, after the United States withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, China and Russia submitted a proposal for a new ban on weapons in outer space.
But the United States has said it sees no need for any new space arms control agreements. It is party to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits stationing weapons of mass destruction in space.
Ha, no country is going to use nukes. Its called mutually assurred destruction, and its what kept people from using nukes during the cold war. Though Russia is starting to move eerily closer to the old Soviet Union. But are we going to have weapons satellites? Because satellites with some sort of Destructo-ray would be pretty awesome.
Damn ruskies! Drink your Stoli and be happy Bush hasn't gotten to your side of the block yet. Do you really want to antagonize this maniac? He'll turn on you like a pit bull!
Last edited by Sixxgunn on Fri Jun 03, 2005 5:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
zombiez wrote:If we have the technology, we need to develop it, to hell with what any other country thinks
I agree. If we do put a space defence system in place the threat from the commies errrr new republicans would be worthless. And why arent the dang ruskies bitching about Korea they are defying the entire world by developing nuclear weapons.
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[size=14][b]Letters from the procupine, they'll stick straight through you.
So read one anytime you think you've made mistakes.[/b][/size]
Flockers wrote:I called it, Bush it gonna start a damn Nuclear Holocaust. See you guys in Canada!
Please enlighten me, but what in God's name is a Nuclear Holocaust? A holocaust would imply mass genocide intentionally carried out, yet if there's a nuclear war we're all screwed, no genocide. Or were you just throwing the word in there for sensationalism?
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by Flockers » Thu Jun 02, 2005 9:45 pm 
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