Palin, McCain and War with Russia

Gov. Palin's ABC interview raised concerns over her experience and knowledge.

It is her policy that should worry us most. The combination of McCain's recklessness, Palin's proclivities and neoconservative belligerence could plunge a McCain presidency into an early confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia.

Palin generated alarmed headlines when she casually said America could go to war with Russia to defend the Republic of Georgia.

GIBSON: And under the NATO treaty, wouldn't we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?

PALIN: Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you're going to be expected to be called upon and help.

No leader or candidate should promote, threaten or bluff global thermonuclear war. Russia has over 10,000 nuclear weapons, including some 2000 nuclear-tipped missiles ready to launch on 15-minutes notice. The failure of the two previous administrations to eliminate this threat means that the next administration must make it a top priority. There are many ways to both reduce this threat and stand up to Russia's brutality without suggesting war.

But this is more than inexperience. Gov. Palin's comments mirror Sen. McCain's response to the Russia-Georgia conflict. Both follow the hard line laid down by neoconservative advisers now dominating the campaign's foreign policy.

Their plans deserve more attention than they have received. Would President McCain implement this radical policy and establish Georgia as a military ally of the United States, placing American weapons and troops directly on Russia's southern Asian border?

Fred Kagan urges exactly this in The Weekly Standard. He would extend NATO-like security guarantees to Georgia now, rush hundreds of US military advisors to the nation, fund a major increase in Georgia's military forces, and pledge the US military to block Russian aircraft or troops from Georgian territory. In short, the doctrine Palin now espouses. Kagan, a fierce advocate for the invasion of Iraq and of strikes on Iran, wants to greatly expand the US military presence in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Georgia. "This program would aim to turn each of those states," he says, "into daunting porcupines capable of deterring the Russian bear."

His Weekly Standard colleague, Stuart Koehl, thinks this plan is too modest. Koehl says the Russian military is a paper bear that could be knocked off with a determined guerrilla war. He advocates sending U.S. anti-tank weapons and anti-aircraft Stinger missiles to Georgia troops, encouraging them to wage protracted war with Russia, backed by lavish US military aid. "As Russian forces start to bleed," he claims, "it will be impossible...to hide the casualties from the Russian people." The full aim of Koehl's proxy war would be overthrow of the Russian regime.

If this regime change strategy sounds familiar, it should. It is the same disastrous policy that brought us into an unnecessary war with Iraq, threatens war with Iran, blocked negotiations to end North Korea's nuclear program, and now returns in full glory to the original object of neoconservative ire: Russia. McCain and Palin seem to embrace this world view.

These plans have fermented for decades in various crackpot conferences and journals. A McCain-Palin administration could bring them directly into the White House. Nothing could be more dangerous for America's national security.

Follow Joe Cirincione on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Cirincione

Comments

[Felicty]

I wonder what the average Alaskan thinks about the Alaska Ind ependence Movement? Or the uber reli gious atmosphere of the region?

Or is everyone there similarly poi soned?

[hellodollygoodluck]

I'm very curious to know, sinces Sarah Palin sees Russia from her house, how did she not see Putin and Medvedev cracking up laughing so hard right in her face? This woman is a laughing stock, Carla
Bruni has more common sense. And that's just saying the very very least.

[Felicty]

Perhaps a Russian woman stood on her roof one day and stuck her tongue out at Sarah Palin. She's wanted to go to war with Russia ever since.

[omop]

The months of August, September and October 2008 will at some future in some obscure notations be known as either the Fall months Sarah Palin or Sarah Palins Fall months.

What probably will be missing in bot obscure and not so obscure notations is the reference to Senator McCain insulting all Americans by picking an "air head" as his VP.

Still it may be that his choice puts the adequate ending to 8 years of inconsequential policies by a decaying Republican party.

[Toonadude]

Get ready for draft young men. If you're Yankee blue blood phlegm you might get a cushy spot in an Air National Guard unit getting trained on antique aircraft and you'll be alright. But I don't think "having other priorities" will be a successful dodge this time around.

[Felicty]

We could send her back to Alaska with the direction that she is to build a bridge to Russia, and then she and her Alaska Independence Army can wage war with Russia, if they so choose.

Once those lun atics are gone, we reclaim Alaska back, keep the remaining populace, and evryone will be ever so happy.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

SARAH-GEDDON
by Mark Ames --- The Nation --- September 15, 2008

Palin thrilled at the prospect of taking America to war with Russia over Georgia on behalf of Big Oil giant BP - McCain and his lobbyists in this up to their eyeballs.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080929/ames

[ElizabethMN]

She was a puppet and had no idea what she was saying so I'm not afraid. It seems that people are overanalyzing an iditos words!

[mainemomma]

http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/15-09-2008/106357-voting-0#

Ok. this is a russian news agency... so put on a filter, but the title is The Perils of Viscral Voting. Sounds like people overseas are very observant. The question is why American's can't see this?

[sanl]

SARAH PALIN: ANTI-CHOICE, PRO-VIOLENCE

Nice work, John!!

[arthur2008]

These are the people and policies that have decimated the American economy and compromised our interests across the globe.

[Dodge]

Mommy... are we going to war with Russia?

[nhplanner]

This is my biggest fear. McCain's explosive temper and Palin's religious belief that we are in the "Last Days" could very well bring us a Nuclear Armageddon. The recklessness of these candidates is downright frightening.

[Irtnog]

And we are going to pay for this how? NEWS FLASH!!!! The US is BROKE. We owe 9 TRILLION dollars. Every dollar that goes to foreign aid or military adventurism (or both) is a dollar that we don't have. If Mccain/palin are elected the future of the United States of America is grim.

[yogablu]

What's in it for Fred Kagan and Stuart Koehl? Do they have vested interests in all things war related? Stock or ownership of weapons companies? Or is this just a power trip that keeps their names in the press? It appears that they both didn't receive enough love as a child or their brains are clogged due to eating toxic American food. When the nuerotransmitters in your brain are damaged you may only have the capacity to focus on the negative or fear. This may just be prompting them to only consider the dark side of life. It is obvious that they deem the only way out is through aggression. What are we getting out of anyway? Who is going ot pay for this Russian boarder concept anyway? If we weren't spending billions a day on senseless war we could have spent the money on rail systems that would have prevented the disaster in Los Angeles last week. Or we could have helped the kid who blew away students and teachers last year at Virginia Tech? Just some thoughts.

[Auntmisbehaving]

Hey, you guys, in a bad-case scenario with McCain and Palin in the White House, you know they won't let her really make any decisions. I mean, heck, they're now finding out what an empty suit she is themselves and they'll have her gagged bigtime.

[LynnTTT]

I tried telling myself that when Bush was elected in 2000. "Maybe it won't be so bad; these guys tend to surround themselves with more moderate advisors and they'll keep him in check". Wrong, the neo-cons came out in full force. Both she and McCain will take being elected as a "mandate" (remember Bush saying that in 2004 even though he didn't have a majority vote ) and will feel free to resurrect a 1950's Cold War. Only problem now is we aren't facing only one country with nuclear weapons are we? And after 9/11 we know the enemy doesn't need a nuclear bomb.

[JRsNana]

I think you’re wrong on this one auntmisbehaving. The neo-cons running the show look at her as a blank slate. They can write anything they want to on her. She’ll be the spokesperson. Young, pretty, butter won’t melt in her mouth. Doesn’t hesitate to lie on cue. She’s a neo-con’s wet dream! This is absolutely terrifying!