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Exactly. A good read is the book "Two Minutes To Midnight" about the Cuban missile crisis...it discusses the disparity between the capabilities Khrushchev claim

Exactly. A good read is the book "Two Minutes To Midnight" about the Cuban missile crisis...it discusses the disparity between the capabilities Khrushchev claimed and what US intelligence knew to be true.

finid 10y ago
You have to take "what US intelligence knew to be true" with a grain of salt. Just recently, Obama dismissed Russia as a 3rd-rate military power. You have to believe that was based on intelligence briefings. That tune changed quickly when Russia started flexing muscle in Syria.
- mercutio2 10y ago
  Is there something about Russia's muscle flexing in Syria that doesn't indicate its conventional forces are third rate? If so, I haven't heard of it. The Syrian war is a minor skirmish. If significant strategic interests were actually at risk, the great powers would just invade and ignore the resulting loss of life. Instead, we standby and generally still ignore the loss of life.
  - finid 10y ago
    So Russian conventional forces are 3rd rate? Your assessment is based on what? Listen to what Obama said after calling Russia a regional power: “Obviously a bunch of rebels are not going to be able to compete with the hardware of the second-most powerful military in the world.” And if "significant strategic interests" were not at risk in Syria, we won't be using terrorists in an attempt to topple the countries legitimate govt.
  - dnh44 10y ago
    Well for a start, before Syria no one knew the Russians had cruise missiles.
    - sgt101 10y ago
      Errm, I did, I knew they had cruise missiles in the 1980's they were talked about on UK radio, I remember a particularly rabid friend talking about the threat of a communist take over in Ireland (dear jesus that guy was crazy) and how "The Russians" would station cruise missiles there!
      - dnh44 10y ago
        I think it was the range of the missiles that were the surprise in Syria. 3000km I believe. It was quite big news in the UK at the time. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/world/middleeast/russias-kalibr-cruise-missiles-a-new-weapon-in-syria-conflict.html?referer=https://duckduckgo.com/ http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/world/middleeast/russia...

finid 10y ago

You have to take "what US intelligence knew to be true" with a grain of salt. Just recently, Obama dismissed Russia as a 3rd-rate military power. You have to believe that was based on intelligence briefings. That tune changed quickly when Russia started flexing muscle in Syria.

mercutio2 10y ago
Is there something about Russia's muscle flexing in Syria that doesn't indicate its conventional forces are third rate? If so, I haven't heard of it. The Syrian war is a minor skirmish. If significant strategic interests were actually at risk, the great powers would just invade and ignore the resulting loss of life. Instead, we standby and generally still ignore the loss of life.
- finid 10y ago
  So Russian conventional forces are 3rd rate? Your assessment is based on what? Listen to what Obama said after calling Russia a regional power: “Obviously a bunch of rebels are not going to be able to compete with the hardware of the second-most powerful military in the world.” And if "significant strategic interests" were not at risk in Syria, we won't be using terrorists in an attempt to topple the countries legitimate govt.
- dnh44 10y ago
  Well for a start, before Syria no one knew the Russians had cruise missiles.
  - sgt101 10y ago
    Errm, I did, I knew they had cruise missiles in the 1980's they were talked about on UK radio, I remember a particularly rabid friend talking about the threat of a communist take over in Ireland (dear jesus that guy was crazy) and how "The Russians" would station cruise missiles there!
    - dnh44 10y ago
      I think it was the range of the missiles that were the surprise in Syria. 3000km I believe. It was quite big news in the UK at the time. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/world/middleeast/russias-kalibr-cruise-missiles-a-new-weapon-in-syria-conflict.html?referer=https://duckduckgo.com/ http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/world/middleeast/russia...