Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Obama's go-it-alone foreign policy: Russian edition

First, Sec. Clinton wanted to hit the reset button on US-Russia relations but couldn't be bothered to check the translation or even the alphabet on her reset button. Then, VP Biden insults the prideful Russians, claiming their economy is 'withering.' Now, the Russians have responded: for the first time in fifteen years, they have, as the NY Times reports, stationed nuclear-powered submarines off the US eastern seaboard:
A pair of nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines has been patrolling off the eastern seaboard of the United States in recent days, a rare mission that has raised concerns inside the Pentagon and intelligence agencies about a more assertive stance by the Russian military. ....

“I don’t think they’ve put two first-line nuclear subs off the U.S. coast in about 15 years,” said Norman Polmar, a naval historian and submarine warfare expert. ....

According to Defense Department officials, one of the Russian submarines remained in international waters on Tuesday about 200 miles off the coast of the United States.

Other interpretations of this event are found here, here and here.

PREVIOUSLY, on Obama's foreign policy:
Obama alienates Germany
Obama's charm offensive not working
Obama snubs Brazil
Obama insults Britain
On Iran's nuclear program, Obama abandons cooperation with Europe
Obama antagonizes India

RELATED: Seven months into Obama's term and the last coalition partners have pulled out of Iraq.

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