July 14,
2008: Russia has threatened to aim its
ICBMs at Western Europe, for the first time since the Cold War ended. This is
all part of a dispute between the U.S. and Russia over U.S. plans to install
anti-missile systems in Eastern Europe, to protect Europe from possible Iranian
missile attacks. Actually, the U.S. defense system would more likely just
reduce the Iranian ability to use their missiles to bully Europe. Since Britain
and France have their own nuclear force, an Iranian attack on Europe would be
suicidal. Threats, as part of diplomatic maneuvering, are another matter. But
Russia interprets all this as a plot against them, to, well, Westerners are
unsure what the Russians are afraid of. Apparently it has something to do with
the Russian ability to use its ICBMs against Western Europe.
This also
raises the question of where are those thousands of land and sea-based
ballistic missiles, belonging to the U.S., Russia, Britain and France, are
aimed. During the Cold War, it was pretty obvious. But since the Cold War ended
in 1991, these nations have been rather coy about how their ICBM and SLBM
missile guidance systems have been reset, if at all. There is good reason for
this, because despite a post-Cold War treaty that greatly reduced the nuclear
warhead arsenals of the U.S. and Russia (from about 50,000 warheads, to less
than 10,000), there are still several thousand warheads on missiles that are
aimed at something. It is assumed that a lot of the Russian and U.S. missiles
are still aimed at their Cold War targets.
Meanwhile,
the U.S. upgraded its Minuteman III missiles in the 1990s, so that they can
quickly have their targets changed. Also, since the Cold War ended, far fewer
missiles are on alert status (ready to fire). The Russians are believed to have
very few missiles on alert status (because of the expense).
China and
Russia probably still have many missiles aimed at each other. Some Russian
missiles are probably still aimed at Western Europe, because the British and
French missiles are probably still aimed at targets to the east. Speaking of
that, Iran and North Korea have probably earned themselves some more warheads.
But beyond that, it's considered a touchy subject. Of course. But the world
does wonder.
