RUSSIAN WARS GAMES ARE IN PREPARATION FOR U.S. THREATS IN REGION
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/August2006/250806Games.htm
Russia and Central Asian Allies Conduct War Games in Response to US
Threats
Michel Chossudovsky | August 25 2006
Barely acknowledged by the Western media, military exercises organized
by Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan under the Collective
Security Treaty Organisation, (CSTO) were launched on the 24th of
August. These war games, officially tagged as part of a counter
terrorism program, are in direct response to US military threats in the
region including the planned attacks against Iran.
The Rubezh-2006 exercise, is scheduled to take place from August 24-29
near the Kazak port city of Aktau:
"It will be the first joint military exercise undertaken by CSTO
countries, and will involve 2,500 members drawn from various armed
services of member states, with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan the principal participants. Uzbekistan, which has recently
rejoined the CSTO, will send observers, while the two other pact
members, Belarus and Armenia, will not be taking part .( IPWR News
Briefing Central Asia)
Press reports from the region describe these war games as a response to
US military presence and ambitions in Central Asia:
"The growing militarisation is connected with mutual mistrust among
countries in the region, say analysts. Iranian media have speculated
that the United States is using Azerbaijan to create a military
counterweight to Iran on the Caspian. It is possible that the exercise
conducted by the CSTO =E2=80=93 in which Russia is dominant =E2=80=93 repre=
sents a
response to concerns about United States involvement in developing
Kazakstan=E2=80=99s navy. Observers say Russia is leaning more and more
towards the Iranian view that countries from outside should be banned
from having armed forces in the Caspian Sea."
Experts say the US is trying to step up the pressure on Iran, as well
as to defend its own investments in Azerbaijan and Kazakstan. It is
also trying to guarantee the security of the strategically vital
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.
A military presence on the Caspian would give the United States an
opportunity to at least partially offset its weakening influence in
Central Asia, as seen in the closure of its airbase in Uzbekistan, the
increased rent it is having to pay for the Manas base in Kyrgyzstan,
and the diplomatic scandal that resulted in the expulsion of two
Americans from Kyrgyzstan.
According to analysts, genuine security in the region can be achieved
only if the military interests of all five Caspian countries are
coordinated. At an international conference in Astrakhan in July 2005,
Russia proposed the formation of a Caspian naval coordination group,
but to date the initiative has not had much of a response.(Ibid)
The entire region seems to be on a war footing. These CSTO war games
should be seen in relation to those conducted barely a week earlier by
Iran, in response to continued US military threats.
While Iran is not a member of the CSTO, it has observer status in the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), of which China is a member.
The SCO has a close relationship to the CSTO.
The structure of military alliances is crucial. In case of an attack on
Iran, Russia and its CSTO allies will not remain neutral.
In April, Iran was invited to become a full member of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO). Sofar no concrete timetable for Iran's
accession to the SCO has been set.
This enlargement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which also
includes observer status for India, Pakistan and Mongolia counters US
military and strategic objectives in the broader region. Moreover,
China and Russia, which are partners in the SCO also have a
longstanding bilateral military cooperation agreement. In August 2005,
China and Russia conducted joint militart exercises.
The conduct of the CSTO war games must be seen as a signal to
Washington that an attack on Iran could lead to a much broader military
conflict in which Russia and the member states of the CSTO could
potentially be involved, siding with Iran and Syria. Also of
significance is the structure of bilateral military cooperation
agreements. Russia and China are the main suppliers of advanced weapons
systems of Iran and Syria. Russia is contemplating the installation of
a Navy base in Syria on the eastern Mediterranean coastline. In turn,
the US and Israel have military cooperation agreements with Azerbaijan
and Georgia.
In recent developments India and Russia have signed on August 20th, a
farreaching military cooperation agreement. Although not officially
directed against the US, the purpose of this agreement is understood.
The two countries have "agreed to focus on joint war games in
services-to-services interaction, joint development of new weapons
systems and training of Indian military personnel", (Press Trust of
India, 21 August 2006).
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