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Sep 30, 2008 | 2
If you thought the Cold War was over—that long nuclear standoff that shaped the last five decades of the 20th century—think again. Following his American counterpart, and perhaps prompted by new tensions over the war in Georgia and the agreement between the U.S. and Poland to deploy a missile defense system there, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has announced plans to upgrade that country's "nuclear deterrent" by 2020.
It's part of a full upgrade for the Russian armed forces: more nuclear-powered subs, better bombs as well as their own "air and space defense network". "Star wars" has at last come to a galaxy not so far away.
The move prompted U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to boast that the U.S. possesses an "extremely capable, robust, broad and indeed varied nuclear deterrent," according to an interview with Reuters. That no doubt includes not only the hit-or-miss missile defense effort but also plans to build new nuclear weapons and the industrial complex that develops and fabricates them.
Aug 11, 2008 | 3
As the world turns its attention to the spreading fight between Russia and the Republic of Georgia, it’s worth a reminder that war can have lasting effects on the soldiers who fight it and the citizens who get caught in it. The effects of post-traumatic stress disorder are well-known, and some populations are affected more than others. (Meanwhile, some armed forces are experimenting with ways to “juice” the brains of their soldiers, and Georgia is accusing Russia of a coordinated cyberattack on Georgian Web sites, according to ZDNet.)
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