CFE Conference Off To Rocky Start

I was just reading a story on Yahoo about the first day of the emergency conference on the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, with delegates indicating that Russia and NATO are far apart in their views concerning implementation of the treaty.

The Russians have so far refused to close former bases in Georgia and Moldova, and they are angry with the West's rush to place an anti-missile shield in Poland. In addition, there is the threat of a veto on any move to allow Kosovo to have independence as we have heard with recent heated rhetoric on the part of Russian President Vladimir Putin and President George Bush at the recent G-8 summit. There was a little milder statement toward the end of the conference, but it shows that we need to tread softly or risk starting another weapons race.

I have mentioned earlier that I do not think that President Putin is entirely wrong in his worry of having an anti-missile shield in his "backyard", as I think we would object if they put such a shield in Cuba or some other unfriendly country so near to the United States. I found his offer to allow use of the old radar site in Azerbaijan for the site of the anti-missile radar unit as genuine. Now if President Bush does not have ulterior motives he would have taken him up on the offer and shown President Putin that we are really trying to offer protection from rogue states, like Iran and North Korea firing missiles into Europe, and not trying to threaten Russia. President Bush's lack of interest he shows President Putin that he does have to worry about what the West is doing, just as we worry what he is doing as he turns away from democratic reforms in Russia.

Can anyone say Cold War II! Seems closer and closer to a reality everyday and the distance apart at the start of this conference is just one more indication of that possibility.
CFE