Crossfire War – MOSCOW – WASHINGTON – TOKYO WATCH – West Pacific Theatre: Moscow – Washington – Tokyo – Taipei – Canberra – Singapore/Kula Lumpur – Muscat – Riyadh – Tehran; Russia Long – Range Strategic Bombers Rendezvous with U.S. Carriers Off Guam – Strategic Cooperation
Night Watch: GUAM – Washington-Moscow have begun strategic cooperation, establishing the pattern for their joint war effort against Tehran. Reuter’s reports, as the U.S. was conducting naval maneuvers with three carrier strike groups in the Western Pacific off Guam, two long-range Russian strategic bombers flew over Guam and “exchanged smiles” with U.S. fighter jets that had been scrambled to meet them. The Russian bombers were the Tu-95MS and Russia Major – General Paval Androsov explained, “It has always been the tradition of our long range aviation to fly far into the ocean, to meet (U.S.) aircraft carriers and greet (U.S.) Pilots. I think the result was good. We met our colleagues-fighter jet pilots from (U.S.) aircraft carriers. We exchanged smiles and returned home.” [SWISSINFO]
This was not intended to renew Cold War acquaintances, but to begin practicing joint maneuvers, air – sea operations that will be used against Iran as Russian and Allied forces approach the Persian Gulf. A few years ago, the New York Times mentioned not one Russia air unit was fully operational. Fortunately that is not the case now as military reforms led by President Vladimir Putin, coupled with a large defense budget, have restored Russia’s ability to be a major factor in international affairs once again and the timing could not be more crucial. No one is noticing this U.S.-Russia cooperation more closely than Iran and Tehran realizes it is designed to respond to Iran’s offensives. This is the result of the Strategic Working Group co-chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger and former Russia Premier Yevgeny Primakov.
