Over the past few days, I have been reading about the decision by the Russian government to reinstate the nuclear armed strategic bomber patrols over international waters. This was a program that was ended when the former Soviet Union crumbled in 1992. Russian President Vladimir Putin states that “halting these missions after the Soviet collapse had hurt Russia’s security because other nations had continued such missions”. Whether this is truly the fuel that drives this decision or if there is a darker undertone to the decision, is unknown to me and I will probably never know the answer.

For argument sake, let’s look at what the Russian Government has done over the past month or so starting with the most recent incident. Friday August 17th fourteen bombers took off on several different flight paths taking them over the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans and close enough to other nations that these nations responded by sending US, RAF, and NATO jets to shadow them as they flew compromisingly close to their airspace. Last week Russian Patrols flew close enough to Guam (home to a major US Military Base) that Russian and US Fighter pilots were able to “Exchanged Smiles”. Last month Russian Tupolev 95 “Bears” strayed south from Norway towards Scotland and were met by RAF Tornado fighters. And the last one I am going to mention is the recent flights over the Arctic Ocean that came very close to Alaska and US Airspace.
As a child growing up in the years following the Cuban Missile Crisis, I can not help but remember the Civil Defense Drills I participated in while I was going to school and the subdued fear that most Americans felt during this era. I don’t believe that we are on the verge of a new Cold War but I do believe that we should pay very close attention to this change of attitude coming from Russia. We must also take note that Russia has been and is forming tight relationships with many Mid-Eastern countries including Iran and is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) consisting of several Central Asian countries who are demanding that the US abandon its bases that were established after 9/11 in the former Soviet Central Asia which has vast oil and gas reserves. Also, Russia has just completed a series of war games with China that were conducted on Russian soil.
In my opinion, the anti-western influence movement that is growing and gaining strength must be countered with the strength, confidence, and resolve that the US now possesses. The American People will be faced with a choice in November of 2008. Let us all pray that the outcome keeps us strong.
God Bless America.