May 05, 2006

... build this Wall.

"Enemy at the Gates. Dick Cheney made a Fulton speech in Vilnius," said business daily Kommersant's front page headline.

"Vice President Dick Cheney made a keynote speech on relations between the West and Russia in which he practically established the start of the second Cold War ... The Cold War has restarted, only now the front lines have shifted," it said.
[Cheney speech spurs new Cold War: Russian press - Rueters - 05-05-06]

Rewind...

Since the mid-1990s, U.S.and Russian interests have clashed over Iraq. Russia strongly opposed military action against Iraq in connection with the U.N. inspection regime. Virtuallyall segments of the Russian political spectrum protested vehemently against the U.S.-led missile and air strikes against Iraq in December 1998. Russia supported Iraq’s call for an end to economic sanctions and limiting U.N. weapons inspections. It also sought to expand economic relations with Iraq and secure repayment of $7 billion of loans owed from the Soviet period.

After September 11, Moscow moved away from blanket support of Iraq. Some Russian officials suggested that under certain circumstances, U.S. military action against Iraq might not seriously strain U.S.-Russian relations — provided it was not unilateral and Russia’s economic interests in Iraq were protected.

Nevertheless, on August 16, 2002, Iraqi and Russian officials announced a long-term agreement worth $40 billion for Russian firms to modernize Iraq’s oil, electrical, chemical, agricultural, and transport sectors.
[Russia - Foreign Affiars, Defense and Trade Division - Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress - Page 17 IB9208901-05-05CRS-14]