Russia-Cuba ties worry U.S.

Paul Richter
Los Angeles Times
Monday, Sept 1, 2008

Amid rising tensions over Georgia, U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that Russia is moving to rebuild one of the most dangerous features of the old Soviet Union’s security structure — its alliance with Cuba.

Moscow has been signaling that it wants to restore a long relationship with Havana that included not only economic ties, but also military and intelligence cooperation. The relationship brought the world to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, when Russia secretly installed nuclear missiles on the island.

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U.S. officials believe that Russian statements are partly bluster, intended to dissuade the United States and its allies from moving the NATO alliance and military equipment, including missile defense sites, closer to the Russian border. And some experts question how interested Cuba is in rebuilding close ties with Russia.

But at a time when Russia has intervened forcefully in Georgia and is extending the global reach of its rebuilt military, some senior officials fear it may not be only bluster.

Russia “has strategic ties to Cuba again, or at least, that’s where they’re going,” a senior U.S. official said recently, speaking, like others, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive implications of the assessments.

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3 Responses to “Russia-Cuba ties worry U.S.”

1. TXGIRL Says:
   September 1st, 2008 at 6:32 pm

   Cuba and Russia, come on, this is not new/news. It’s a very old love affair.
   “Bluster” from Russia? They can bury us, and are currently holding back with a fair amount of restraint from doing so, and ending the insane cabal called Bush/Cheney.
   Checked out their new torpedoes or other armaments lately? The US is toast, if they want eat us for breakfast, they will.

2. me Says:
   September 1st, 2008 at 11:34 pm

   dont forget the new red menace, word on the street is the chinese possess nukes and subs. and underground sub bases…..dont the french also have nukes and subs around the world? doesnt fucking pakistand have nukes and a recently forced out military general? this is hardly scary compared to that.

3. kraut Says:
   September 2nd, 2008 at 2:17 am

   Russia could seel some nice advanced missile system to mexico or Cuba for that matter, see how these overflyers and drug mules like it up them.