Russia Prepared for Conflict Over Iran If Necessary, Sources Confirm

by Dr. George Krasnow

Dear Friends of the Russia & America GoodWill Association (RAGA)!  The RAGA stays away from politics, except when peace is threatened.

Below is my translation of a report about Russian troops being put on high alert, as it appeared on Russia’s polit.ru site.

The Kremlin is being updated about the upcoming US-backed Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”, citing sources in the Defense Ministry. Strike will be sudden and inflicted very soon.

A full-scale war is possible. This issue was discussed at the Russia-EU summit in Brussels with the participation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Russia’s permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov stated that the Israeli / the U.S attack on Iran. would lead to “catastrophic development of events.”

According to the newspaper, the military preparations of Russia to minimize the loss resulting from such a military action against Tehran were launched a year ago and are now almost complete. According to sources in the Defense Ministry, Russian 102nd military base in Armenia was fully optimized during October-November 2011.

Military families were evacuated to Russia; Russian garrison stationed near Yerevan was reduced in size; military units stationed there were transferred to the district of Gyumri, close to the Turkish border. U.S. strikes on the targets in Iran are expected from Turkey’s territory.. Since December 1, 2011 Russian forces at military bases in South Ossetia and Abkhazia’ have been put on high alert combat readiness; and Black Sea Fleet ships now cruise near the border with Georgia, which in this conflict may take the side of anti-Iranian forces.

Today, Hans Blix, former Head of International Atomic Energy Agency (1981 – 1997), told RT from Stockholm, Sweden, that:

“Threats by hawks in Israel and the US will not succeed in scaring the Iranians.”

Former Chief of the UN Inspections Commission on WMD in Iraq (2000 – 2003), Blix sees ominous similarities with the fake search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Yesterday Sergei Ryabov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, warned against US constantly increasing pressure on Iran; Russia favors a diplomatic solution, as we are trying to convince our Israeli friends of the enormous risks Israel would be taking, said Ryabov.

The Israeli public is far from being united behind the Right-Wing’s plans for a “pre-emptive” attack.

In addition to Ephraim Halevy, former Mossad chief, Israeli Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz, Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon, Interior Minister Eli Yishai, Intelligence and Atomic Energy Minister Dan Meridor and Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Begin remain firmly opposed to any action against Iran. 

Why don’t we know this from US mass media? Read:

“How Zionism infiltrated the US” with Mark Bruzonsky, a Jewish-American activist who has been a key member behind the Israeli Palestinian peace initiative in the 1980s.

In essence, he confirms the thesis of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, a 2007 book published by two leading US scholars, Steve Walt and John Mearsheimer.

According to Bruzonsky, The US has prevented a settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict because the Israelis set up such powerful institutions, lobbies, publications, personalities, and their control of political parties and of the media make it impossible for American leaders to do what they knew they should do to solve this cancer.

Read more in How Zionism infiltrated the U.S.

The questions about ill-informed Americans remain: Why the Arab Spring protesters were hailed as heroes whereas our own OWS activists are condemned as villains?

Am I mistaken that– in order to obtain a better information about the USA- one has to go to foreign sources, BBC, Aljazeera and, yes, RT? Malice Toward None. Good Will to All. Peace to the World. And–Peaceful Christmas!

From RAGA site:

“We are an association of Americans who believe it is in the U.S. national interests to foster friendship with Russia on the basis of mutual Good Will and non-interference in each other’s affairs. RAGA is a gathering of people who share common interests in Russia’s history, culture, religion, economy, politics and the way of life.

We feel that Russian people have made outstanding contributions to humankind and are capable of greater achievements. We envision Russia as a strong, independent, proud and free nation and as a partner in achieving peace in the world.”

Feedback is always welcome. Please share with us your ideas on peace.

Sincerely, W George Krasnow (Vladislav Krasnov)   President, RAGA www.raga.org Facebook

[Editors Note: I have included Dr. Krasnow’s Press TV Show… How Zionism Infiltrated The United States…   Jim W. Dean]

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Dr. George Krasnow

W. George Krasnow (also published as Vladislav Krasnov), Ph.D., runs the Russia and America Goodwill Association, a non-profit organization of Americans for friendship with Russia. Formerly, he was a professor and director of Russian Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California.

Under the name of Vladislav Krasnov he published three books:

• Solzhenitsyn and Dostoevsky: A Study in the Polyphonic Novel (University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA, 1979)
• Russia Beyond Communism: A Chronicle of National Rebirth (Westview Press, 1991)
• Soviet Defectors: The KGB wanted List(Hoover Institution Press, 1985)

His op-ed columns have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, International Herald Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, San Diego Union, and Dallas Morning News.

Recent articles, signed W. George Krasnow, can be found online, as well as in Johnson’s Russia List, Russia Blog, Russia: Other Points of View, OpenDemocracy (UK) and a number of Russian-language outlets.