Ahh.. this 'cold war' rhetoric.. It's almost as though it's a scenario the current leaders have drempt up to leave to their successors.. A return to the '50s and '60s..
Soon we'll be seeing modernized versions of the 'Duck and Cover' commercials..
The problem seems to be that George is saying that he's concerned about the Middle East.. and wants more missile bases in Europe to counter any threat those countries might pose..
But Vlad has taken the bit in his teeth, and told a German interviewer, that should the US construct these bases, he can only see it as further violations of the ABM Treaty.. which the US pulled out of for some reason in 1992, when George Sr. was in power..
Ponder that..
However, what the US is targeting what George calls 'rogue states'.. the likes if Iran and North Korea.. his plans are to build an interceptor-missile base in Poland.. and a radar base in the Czech Republic..
It's a make-work plan.. with no real function other than to keep the American manufacturing machine running, and give these two countries some guaranteed income..
"The language we're hearing from Vlad is nothing like that which we heard from Yeltsin.. Gorbachev.. Breshnev.. but is more reminiscant of Krushchev.."
That statement, by the way, from Polish Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski..
Vlad wants to ensure that his Russia remains the pre-eminent power in that part of the world.. and the amalgamation of States into the EU.. a huge economic entity.. has Rissia somewhat concerned..
But as for Russia targeting European Cities.. who cares?
With the new American interceptor emplacements built and running.. the threat of nuclear confrontation becomes academic..
Vlad has already discovered that he can manipulate the likes of Bulgaria.. with the effects flowing through the endirety of Europe, by simply turning off a pump.. This rhetoric is aimed at emphasising the fact that even though the USSR is dead, Russia is not..
Had Vlad the forsight, he would have approached these former Soviet States with a similar proposal..

And back to the Middle East itself for a moment..
The Palistinian Government has offered a cease-fire agreement to the Israeli's.. in an effort to stop the incessant Israeli air and rocket attacks.. and the Palistinian rocket attacks on Israeli settlements..
Heavy Palestinian rocket fire from Gaza has killed two Israelis in the last month and retaliatory Israeli military operations have killed about 50 Palestinians, many of them Hamas fighters.
Operative word there being 'many'.. collateral damage has almost become accepted by the entire Middle Eastern Community, as a regrettable, but acceptable fact of conflict..
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President ehud Olmert later this week.. but if a reasonable agreement on a cease-fire doesn't come out of the meeting.. with Abbas agreeing to control all the various Hammas factions.. then the 'regrettable, but acceptable' will continue.
One wouldn't hold one's breath for a resolution to this..