Len, do you remember my WWII analogy to grasp the current "war on terrorism"? Here you're:
Message 16642670
Message 16607328
(Of course, I'd no longer cast bogey Bin Laden as a contemporary Josef Stalin... I'd rather have Perwez Musharraf playing that role whereas the Molotov-Ribbentrop carve-up of Poland is tantamount to the Yastrzhembsky-Musharraf carve-up of Afghanistan --under the oversight of the US referee)
WWII broke out after the so-called "phoney war" transition, which lasted 8 months (from Sept 1939 to May 1940)... Likewise, today's phoney-war stage is nearing an end as the clash between the US and Russia over Iran escalates:
US attacks Russia over Iran 'arms' programme
By Andrew Jack in Moscow
Published: August 1 2002 21:47 | Last Updated: August 1 2002
The US risked further souring its relationship with Russia on Thursday, after senior administration officials expanded their accusations of support by Moscow for the development of Iran's military programme.
Spencer Abraham, US secretary of energy, told a press conference in Moscow that his government regarded Russia's co-operation with Iran's nuclear programme with the "utmost concern" and was raising its worries "at the highest level".
Separately, Alexander Vershbow, the US ambassador to Moscow, said his country had concerns about "potential assistance" provided by Russia to Iran for the development of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, as well as the transfer of advanced conventional weapons.
The remarks - coming at the end of top-level talks between the two nations - seemed likely to generate new tensions between the US and Russia, after efforts by George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin, the heads of state, to stress their new strategic relationship in the wake of September 11.
[...]
news.ft.com |
