From The Guardian:
The missile tests follow months of anger in Moscow over the Bush administration's determination to install parts of a controversial missile defence shield in eastern Europe.
President Vladimir Putin has been incensed by the Pentagon's plans to site missile interceptors and radar shields in Poland and the Czech Republic. The row has contributed to the worst relations between Russia and the west for 20 years.
But as well as confrontational rhetoric from Mr Putin, Russia has also been preparing a secret military response, analysts said yesterday. They said the new RS-24 missile was capable of:
· carrying multiple independent warheads, making it almost impossible to shoot down
· travelling inter-continentally to hit targets thousands of miles away
· using sophisticated navigation systems which allow the warheads to lock on to different targets
... The treaty between the US and the Soviet Union banning intermediate range nuclear weapons was no longer effective, warned Mr Ivanov, Russia's former defence minister, because it did not apply to Russia's neighbours such as China.
The Bush administration insists its new missile defence system is aimed at rogue missiles fired by Iran or North Korea. But Russia says the system destroys the strategic balance of forces in Europe and is a direct threat to the country's nuclear arsenal.
Interesting development. Are we looking at another Cold War arms race between the United States and Russia? And if so, what presidential candidate do we have that can accomplish was Reagan did in putting a stop to it?
All we can do for right now is watch and wait.
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