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Maoist Internationalist Movement

Russia: Inter-imperialist rivalry heats up, cools off

Still not a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and not 100% integrated into U.$. imperialism's plans, Russian imperialism threw some curve balls in the latter half of July. Most significantly, Russia suspended its conventional forces pact participation with Europe. The warning regarding the suspension was coming a long time, but solidified the 14th. The previous treaty was called Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).

Since World War II, Russia has been regarded as the greatest land-based military power in Europe. U.$.-backed Europeans seek that Russia position its conventional forces back from its Western borders among other things.

In June 2002, Bush ended participation in the Anti-Ballistic Missiles Treaty, after six months notice according to wikipedia.org.(1) More recently Bush made plans to put up a missile shield including 10 interceptors with help from Poland and Czechoslovakia. Bush said the plan was to target Iran, but Russia said the plan was against itself. The U.S. Congress effectively ended Bush's missile shield idea by not funding it on July 26.(2)

Now the Bush administration is on record saying it will work with Russia over a period of 150 days to allay its concerns regarding conventional forces in Europe. Russia proposed an updated CFE and also a new round for the START treaty with the united $tates on strategic forces--i.e. nuke-type weapons.

In another overture to the united $tates, Putin told Abbas that he recognizes Abbas as the sole president of Palestine. This move backs the imperialist emphasis on the West Bank over the Hamas-led Gaza Strip for now. Putin is sending Abbas 50 armored carriers.(3) Simultaneously, Putin downgraded relations with Hamas.

So perhaps Bush made a partisan mistake in relations with Russia, but the system caught him and perhaps tension is decreasing. The web page "Monday Morning" said that Russia aspires to return to Soviet bloc status, at least as far as control over Europe goes. Russia is a Saudi Arabia as far as energy resources, but with better weapons and more military experience.

Notes:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-ballistic_missile_treaty
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2135671,00.html
3. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/08/01/001.html