Gates: U.S. would support Afghan peace talks with Taliban
10.10.08
posted by pondy
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the United States would be prepared to reconcile with the Taliban if the Afghan government pursued talks to end the seven-year conflict in that country. The Taliban has been battling a U.S.-led coalition since it was toppled from power in 2001 for harboring Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network.
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Russia and China Send Message to the US During Leadership Meeting
05.24.08
posted by pondy
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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said his country and China will work together to shape global security even if other powers don't approve of it. ``I will say frankly that not everyone likes the strategic cooperation between our two nations but we understand that it's in the interests of our people and we'll strengthen it whether others like it or not,'' he told students at Beijing University today.
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Russia is also now fighting back on the US Missile Shield:
The joint statement from Russia and China criticising US plans for anti-missile defenses is a very public condemnation of a scheme which both countries have long opposed.
Issuing this on the first day of new Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Beijing is intended to send a clear signal, not only to the Bush administration, but also to its successor, that other nuclear powers, too, have firm views about the validity of such a system.
The US has long been trying to convince Moscow that its very limited proposals for a handful of interceptor missiles in Poland and an associated radar system in the Czech Republic are no threat to Russia's interests.
Washington says the scheme is intended to defend against a potential threat from Iran.
But the Russians simply do not accept this.
They take the view that even a small-scale system, once up and running, will inevitably lead to much more comprehensive defenses. And this is very much a view that China shares.
Public relations battle
Friday's joint statement refers to US plans to create "a global missile defense system".