[Swamp_Thing]

Well well well, ain´t that funny! Seems like the world is taking sides, isn´t it? This doesn´t help the US´s case at all. First we had a Syria-Iran alliance, formally announced. And now Russia announces it will sell "nuculer" fuel to Iran? This is getting more interesting by the minute!! More and more the world is dividing into 2 blocks. Again. It´s curious how the world got rid of the capitalist vs. comunist blocks, only to wind up with another. When will Mankind get over this "we against them" mentality?

[Tiara]

Originally posted by Swamp_Thing
When will Mankind get over this "we against them" mentality?

Never. It is the very foundation of our nature. We are a race of conflict and contradictions.

[Genryu]

Originally posted by Swamp_Thing
When will Mankind get over this "we against them" mentality?

Never, because Man, and by consequence society, is fundamentally selfish.
And, at the risk of being once again branded as an America-basher, I'd say the us against them thing was rekindled by the US. I mean, "If you're not with us, you're against us". This sort of talk doesn't help much for credibility when you talk about peace and freedom.

[IceFire]

Russians have always had an interest in the middle east.  This is nothing new.

Of course they will sell nuclear fuel.  I'm sure if Iran was willing to pay, they would sell them Su-30MKI's too.  Its money and trade.

[aldo_14]

IIRC Iran has oil which is useful to Russia, as well as being useful as a neighbour to Azerbaijan and Georgia (the former an oil source, the latter somewhat of a thorn to Russia recently I think) - so it means the Russians can have an ally to exert politicial or (unlikely) military pressure on those.

The other thing is that the 'superpowers' (Russia a semi-superpower due to it's amount of nukes, China as an emerging superpower( all have an interest in expanding their sphere of influence, critically with regard to access of oil; the US is (regardless of your opinion of the reasons for the Iraq war) increasingly exerting  itself across the middle-East states, Russia is getting a route into Iran here, and China is active in funding joint ventures (for oil again, mining, etc) in Africa.

[Nuclear1]

Wow, this is all a surprise. Russia selling weapons to clients in the Middle East. My God! What is Putin thinking?

It's seriously not a shocker that Russia is dealing with Iran anyway (or any of its old Soviet Middle East allies, for that matter). Especially if its to give nukes to point at American troops

[WeatherOp]

Russia loves everyone who will buy their weapons.

[Woolie Wool]

Figures. Putin would do anything to stab us in the back.

[01010]

Originally posted by Woolie Wool
Figures. Putin would do anything to stab us in the back.

It would seem to me that you are doing a pretty good job of it by yourselves.

[Flipside]

Theres also a large sale of Tor Class Anti-aircraft missiles going on between the two of them. Russia is using the same tactics to stop the growth of the US as the US used to try and stop the growth of Russia, it's swings and roundabouts.

[BlackDove]

Originally posted by Swamp_Thing
When will Mankind get over this "we against them" mentality?

There is a way.

Just as much as there is a way of me ruling the world by the time I'm 30-40 years old.

[Grey Wolf]

We now have official confirmation of nothing getting through the Security Council.

[Nuclear1]

Not that anything ever gets through it in the first place

[Grey Wolf]

By my estimate, I think we went from a 2-5% chance to roughly 0%.

[Flipside]

Nahhh.. Americas been playing this game with Russia for years, it's just somehow the cards have got turned face-up in the last few years.

In a strange, peverse, way, that's actually for the good.

[aldo_14]

It's not really all that different from the US/UK support for (for example) Saudi Arabia, etc.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Originally posted by Woolie Wool
Figures. Putin would do anything to stab us in the back.

I pity* the naive fool who thinks the Russians are friends of the West.

[Flipside]

The situation isn't unknown throughtout History though, one large Nation with dreams of Past Empires, one large Nation with dreams of Future Empire, It's a dance that's been going on for a long long time now, I just hope the band isn't getting tired.

EDIT : Thing is, Iran is being described as the 'World Number One funder of Terrorism', (Though, this dubious honour probably belongs to Saudi Arabia), which, this implies that they are next on the Agenda.

But what then? Who's the next 'World Number One funder of Terrorism'? It's the Domino Theory in reverse.

[vyper]

Jesus Christ are you people for real - the cries of "big bad russia" only worked when we were under the foolish impression we in the west were the "good guys".  The US and the UK have sold (and are selling) weapons to people in the middle east that should never leave our borders - yet when Russia does it, essentially gaining a satellite nation (something the US has done for half a century around the world) it's seen as some unforgivable sin.

[Gank]

Russia was always going to sell nuclear fuel to Iran, they're just announcing they're ready to do it. What nobody here seems to understand is that the deal involves the return of the spent waste to russia, which prevents Iran from making nukes out of it. The deal was held up until the Iranians signed on this so essentially the Russians are doing the US a favour.

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/berman200502180741.asp