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Russia: No return to Cold
War
Duncan Gardham
London
Telegraph
Thursday Aug 22, 2007
Russia says its return to the Soviet-era practice of sending
strategic bombers on long-range flights is not a return to the
Cold War.
"This isn't connected with thinking in terms of blocs or
conflicts, let alone a return to the Cold War," First Deputy
Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said during a visit to Kemerovo in
southern Siberia, ITAR-TASS reported.
Ivanov said, "This is an ordinary working situation. There
are no conflicts. We are flying by the same transparent, understandable
rules as our American partners."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he had ordered
the military to resume regular long-range flights of strategic
bombers amid a chill in relations with the United States.
Since 1992, Russia had unilaterally stopped flights of its strategic
aviation in remote combat areas. However, "not all of countries
followed suit" and that has created certain problems for
Russia's security, Putin said.
(Article continues below)
"For this reason I have made the decision on the resumption
of flights of Russian strategic aviation," he added.
Russian bombers had been making increasingly frequent flights
toward US territory in the lead-up to Putin's announcement, while
Britain and Norway had repeatedly scrambled jets to intercept
Russian planes near their airspace.
Ivanov said Russia had resumed the bomber flights "so Russian
pilots can acquire professional experience. There is nothing at
all to worry about".
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INFOWARS:
BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND
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