Russia and Central Asian Allies Conduct War Games
in Response to US Threats
By
MICHEL CHOSSUDOVSKY
AxisofLogic.com
Posted by Bulatlat
Barely acknowledged by the
Western media, military exercises organized by Russia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan under the Collective Security Treaty
Organisation, (CSTO) were launched on the 24th of August. These war
games, officially tagged as part of a counter terrorism program, are in
direct response to US military threats in the region including the planned
attacks against Iran.
The Rubezh-2006 exercise,
is scheduled to take place from August 24-29 near the Kazak port city of
Aktau:
"It will be the first
joint military exercise undertaken by CSTO countries, and will involve
2,500 members drawn from various armed services of member states, with
Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan the principal participants.
Uzbekistan, which has recently rejoined the CSTO, will send observers,
while the two other pact members, Belarus and Armenia, will not be taking
part .( IPWR
News Briefing Central Asia)
Press reports from the
region describe these war games as a response to US military presence and
ambitions in Central Asia:
"The growing
militarisation is connected with mutual mistrust among countries in the
region, say analysts. Iranian media have speculated that the United States
is using Azerbaijan to create a military counterweight to Iran on the
Caspian. It is possible that the exercise conducted by the CSTO – in which
Russia is dominant – represents a response to concerns about United States
involvement in developing Kazakstan’s navy. Observers say Russia is
leaning more and more towards the Iranian view that countries from outside
should be banned from having armed forces in the Caspian Sea."
Experts say the US is
trying to step up the pressure on Iran, as well as to defend its own
investments in Azerbaijan and Kazakstan. It is also trying to guarantee
the security of the strategically vital Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.
A military presence on the Caspian would give the United States an
opportunity to at least partially offset its weakening influence in
Central Asia, as seen in the closure of its airbase in Uzbekistan, the
increased rent it is having to pay for the Manas base in Kyrgyzstan, and
the diplomatic scandal that resulted in the expulsion of two Americans
from Kyrgyzstan.
According to analysts, genuine security in the region can be achieved only
if the military interests of all five Caspian countries are coordinated.
At an international conference in Astrakhan in July 2005, Russia proposed
the formation of a Caspian naval coordination group, but to date the
initiative has not had much of a response.(Ibid)
The entire region seems to
be on a war footing. These CSTO war games should be seen in relation to
those conducted barely a week earlier by Iran, in response to
continued US military threats.
While Iran is not a member
of the CSTO, it has observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO), of which China is a member. The SCO has a close
relationship to the CSTO.
The structure of military
alliances is crucial. In case of an attack on Iran, Russia and its CSTO
allies will not remain neutral.
In April, Iran was invited
to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Sofar no concrete timetable for Iran's accession to the SCO has been set.
This enlargement of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which also includes observer status
for India, Pakistan and Mongolia counters US military and strategic
objectives in the broader region.
The conduct of the CSTO
war games must be seen as a signal to Washington that an attack on Iran
could lead to a much broader military conflict in which Russia and the
member states of the CSTO could potentially be involved, siding with Iran
and Syria. Also of significance is the structure of bilateral military
cooperation agreements. Russia and China are the main suppliers of
advanced weapons systems for Iran and Syria. Russia is contemplating
the installation of a Navy base in Syria on the eastern Mediterranean
coastline. In turn, the US and Israel have military cooperation
agreements with Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Aug 24,
2006
Posted by
Bulatlat
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