Russia Makes A Comeback

  Everyone thought that the Russia of old was dead on gone after Boris Yeltson, the economic collapse and other ailments that buried Russia very deep into a hole.

   But such is not the case as Martin Sieff (UPI ) points out in an interesting story on the rise of Russia with the help of it's energy holdings and a few of it allies, which include Iran, India and China among others.

Yet under President Vladimir Putin, Russia over the past seven years has recovered from its chaotic decade of powerlessness, economic collapse and humiliation under President Boris Yeltsin. It has become a formidable energy superpower whose annual revenues from its exports of oil and gas are greater than those of Saudi Arabia. And in terms of having allies who have serious military power in their own regions, it is arguably much less isolated than the United States.    Original Article

   It is ironic that while Bush has helped most of the rest of the world hate the United States, Russia is being welcomed by more countries as friends.The United States is in for a rude awakening, I'm afraid.

 

Technorati tags: Vladimir Putin, Boris Yeltsin, Saudi Arabia, Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, United States, NATO

 

The Gulf War Buildup

    First Post has a look at all of the rhetoric going on between the United States and Iran and makes a point that the U.S. is basically acting on intelligence from dissidents and exiles. They did the same thing in the lead up to the war with Iraq, if you remember.

   First Post also takes note of the United States military build up in the Gulf region and notes that the U.S. now has 2 carrier groups in the Gulf with a third group standing by.

   Does this sound as if Bush and the boys would rather have a diplomatic solution instead of a military one?

 

Technorati tags: Persian Gulf, Iran, Iraq, U.S. military, Carrier Groups