The US Must Deter Russia from Nuclear War

The front page of the Wall Street Journal reported Russia’s President Mendevev’s statement: “we’re not afraid of anything, including the prospect of a Cold War, but of course we don’t want it.”
At the same time, he warned that Russia could respond with unspecified military means to the planned US missile defense system in Eastern Europe. ABC reported that a Russian general says the US missile defense deal exposes Poland to possible nuclear attack. Also, Russia stuck a finger in the West’s eye by recognizing the independence of Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Apparently Prime Minister Putin (who actually runs Russia) is not afraid of the West’s response to their illegal action in Georgia. He’s a former KGB agent and is well schooled in the art of intimidation. His father was a submariner in the Soviet Navy - Putin knows the value of submarines in a Cold War. Russia is now constructing new ballistic missile firing nuclear submarines along with modern submarine ballistic missiles.

So here we are again, nose to nose with the Russian bear. Fortunately, the US Navy’s fleet of Trident Submarines is always at sea and ready with highly reliable ballistic missiles. They are a valid deterrent - the Navy recently reported that the last 124 test firings of Trident II ballistic missiles were successful. Additionally, our nuclear attack submarines continue to roam the world’s oceans undetected conducting important reconnaissance missions. The oceans are becoming more opaque not less.

We thought the 50-year Cold War with the Russians ended in 1990. Evidently it did not. We must continue our efforts to deter Russia from any form of nuclear attack on the US and its allies.

Vice Admiral N. Ronald Thunman USN (Ret.)

Springfield