The Russian Empire essentially re-formed today.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

No, this is not a joke, though I use Empire to mean "Great Power".

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A Russian-led bloc of post-Soviet nations has agreed to establish a rapid-reaction military force to combat terrorists and respond to regional emergencies, Russian media reported Wednesday.
Russian navy soldiers stand guard during a military ceremony.

Russian navy soldiers stand guard during a military ceremony.

The decision came a day after reports that Kyrgyzstan is planning to close a strategically important U.S. military base that Washington uses to transport troops and supplies into Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, the Collective Security Treaty Organization -- made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan -- decided on the rapid-reaction force at a Kremlin summit, the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported.

The group's security council "spent a long time discussing the central issue of forming collective reaction forces and, generally, of rapid reaction to possible threats," said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
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* Reports: Kyrgyzstan to close key U.S. base

"Everyone agreed that the formation of joint forces is necessary," he said.

Officials told Russian media that all the members had signed the agreement, though Uzbekistan submitted a special provision.

Uzbekistan doesn't mind contributing military units to the rapid-reaction force "but does not consider it necessary for the moment" to attach emergency responders, drug-control forces and other special services, organization spokesman Vitaly Strugovets told Interfax.

Russian media reported that the force will be used to fight military aggressors, conduct anti-terror operations, battle regional drug trafficking and respond to natural disasters. The force will be based in Russia under a single command, with member nations contributing military units.

On Tuesday, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced at a Moscow news conference that "all due procedures" were being initiated to close Manas Air Base, RIA-Novosti reported. The announcement was made after news reports of a multimillion-dollar aid package from Russia to Kyrgyzstan.

Gen. David Petraeus, who oversees U.S. operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, including Afghanistan, was in Kyrgyzstan last month, partly to lobby the government to allow the United States to keep using the base. He said he and Kyrgyz leaders did not discuss "at all" the possible closure of the base and said local officials told him there was "no foundation" for news reports about the issue.

The United States is planning to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan to halt a resurgence of the Taliban. Petraeus described Manas as having "an important role in the deployment of these forces" and in refueling aircraft.

The relationship between the United States and Kyrgyzstan was damaged when a Kyrgyz citizen was killed by a U.S. airman in December 2006. The airman was transferred out of Kyrgyzstan, and the dead man's family was offered compensation. Petraeus said in January that the investigation was being reopened.

As he announced the base closure Tuesday, Bakiyev said he was not satisfied with the inquiry into the accident and his government's "inability to provide security to its citizens" was proving a serious concern.

Medvedev also weighed in on the issue Wednesday, saying the base closure shouldn't hamper anti-terrorism operations, according to Interfax.

"It would be great if their numbers meant there were fewer terrorists, but such action depends on other things as well," he said.

Notice this--this rapid reaction force includes police and "other special services", i.e., things like FSB counterrorism units and their associates in the other Republics, and is unlike NATO not designed for wars but "to combat terrorist and respond to regional emergencies". This means that essentially Russia is back in charge--this force will be based on Russian territory and under a unified Russian command.

The advantage to these states is that if US-funded "democratic" (read: crypto-fascist, like the supporters of the Colour revolts in the Ukraine) movements try to overthrow the governments of these states, it is now fully legal for Moscow, under international law, to send in this unit, including military personnel and FSB counterrorism units and so on, to intervene against the demonstrators and to suppress the civil unrest. This now makes it impossible for the governments of Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan and to a lesser extent (probably to be followed with full incorporation) Uzbekistan. This cements Russian control over the majority of the old USSR and guarantees a unified military threat to any seditious or external threat.

I imagine that full economic reintegration through the auspices of the CIS can only follow, and that issues like the Transdniestria and Crimean will now be more aggressively pursued against Moldova and the Ukraine with the combined military and economic power of this block which thanks to the prospect of direct Russian control of large segments of their military and police forces will now be inextricably linked once more.

It may well be that later generations will remember this day as the day that the second Time of Troubles for Russia ended, about twenty years after it began. The result of eight years of the Bush administration's irrational hostility toward Russia has come to bite us in the ass with a vengeance. The Russian Empire is now on what I think is an irrevocable course toward being re-formed, and with it, the first step of this new bloc is of course, as the article notes, to immediately expel the United States from the bases we established in Central Asia in the wake of September the Eleventh, severely threatening the tenability of our position in Afghanistan (and forcing us to deal on Russian terms if we want to maintain that force--which of course the Russians promptly indicated by their offer of help).

[Surlethe]

... the first step of this new bloc is of course, as the article notes, to immediately expel the United States from the bases we established in Central Asia in the wake of September the Eleventh, severely threatening the tenability of our position in Afghanistan.

How does this square with the Russian offer to work more closely with the US in Afghanistan? Another bargaining chip? "Take down those missiles in Poland, and we'll let you keep the base in Kyrgyzstan"?

[The Duchess of Zeon]

... the first step of this new bloc is of course, as the article notes, to immediately expel the United States from the bases we established in Central Asia in the wake of September the Eleventh, severely threatening the tenability of our position in Afghanistan.

How does this square with the Russian offer to work more closely with the US in Afghanistan? Another bargaining chip? "Take down those missiles in Poland, and we'll let you keep the base in Kyrgyzstan"?

The American presence in Afghanistan is not necessarily hostile to Russia, Surlethe. The key point is that it will now exist only at the pleasure of Vladimir Putin. Or to put it more crudely, he's got us by the balls now.

[K. A. Pital]

Russia's goal of expunging US military bases from it's immediate vinicity will be pursued with all means available, that's for sure.

I doubt we will be forming a new Empire, but clearly, some sort of new union of nations is in the making on the post-Soviet space, and it will be seen with time what happens of it. Remember, the threat of desintegration and collapse has not passed away from Russia, however sad that is. It's ever looming, especially with the economic crises shaking everything around.

Hopefully we will weather this crisis - at least our government doesn't have second thoughts about nationalizing those who fail, instead of just giving them money.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Russia's goal of expunging US military bases from it's immediate vinicity will be pursued with all means available, that's for sure.

I doubt we will be forming a new Empire, but clearly, some sort of new union of nations is in the making on the post-Soviet space, and it will be seen with time what happens of it. Remember, the threat of desintegration and collapse has not passed away from Russia, however sad that is. It's ever looming, especially with the economic crises shaking everything around.

Hopefully we will weather this crisis - at least our government doesn't have second thoughts about nationalizing those who fail, instead of just giving them money.

Well, forgive me, I don't mean to imply a new Empire as such in the literal political sense but just a Great Power being reformed with a unified economic and military bloc which effectively operates as a country. After all, the EU has not succeeded in making a functional multinational military force yet, but Russia now has already succeeded in this with the bulk of the old USSR.

[Surlethe]

How does this square with the Russian offer to work more closely with the US in Afghanistan? Another bargaining chip? "Take down those missiles in Poland, and we'll let you keep the base in Kyrgyzstan"?

The American presence in Afghanistan is not necessarily hostile to Russia, Surlethe. The key point is that it will now exist only at the pleasure of Vladimir Putin. Or to put it more crudely, he's got us by the balls now.

I understand Putin is fond of such crudities.

So it's simply that Russia has control of the region now, and the base closing is a gesture to let us know that we can't fuck around there as easily as we used to? I was wondering about it specifically because, in that other thread, it seemed Russia was making an offer to work with the US, and closing a near-critical airbase in Kyrgyzstan seems quite the opposite.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

How does this square with the Russian offer to work more closely with the US in Afghanistan? Another bargaining chip? "Take down those missiles in Poland, and we'll let you keep the base in Kyrgyzstan"?

The American presence in Afghanistan is not necessarily hostile to Russia, Surlethe. The key point is that it will now exist only at the pleasure of Vladimir Putin. Or to put it more crudely, he's got us by the balls now.

I understand Putin is fond of such crudities.

So it's simply that Russia has control of the region now, and the base closing is a gesture to let us know that we can't fuck around there as easily as we used to? I was wondering about it specifically because, in that other thread, it seemed Russia was making an offer to work with the US, and closing a near-critical airbase in Kyrgyzstan seems quite the opposite.

Correct. I suspect the offer of assistance in Afghanistan will include Russian access to Afghanistan to keep the situation to their liking, and the deployment of US aircraft through Russian owned and operated bases in Central Asia where every detail of our moves can be controlled and studied. Otherwise, they can make it "difficult" for us. The offer of assistance in short is the offer that, if we cooperate with Russian control of their Near Abroad, things go easy for us in Afghanistan. If we don't, the Russians can now make it hard to support American forces in Afghanistan, and it would be such a pity if the administration had to deal with a plunge of popularity if we pulled out of Afghanistan and left Osama victorious, now, wouldn't it? So let's all be gentlemen, and here's the rules for keeping everyone nice safe and happy....

[The Duchess of Zeon]

And of course conservatives who still think Bush's policies toward Russia were brilliant rather than an unmitigated disaster from start to finish will now say that Obama's "weakness" led to this happening.

[K. A. Pital]

That would be a massive denial of reality. The strategic "big push" to expunge US military bases frome everywhere in Central Asia has begun long before Obama was even becoming considered for a President.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

That would be a massive denial of reality. The strategic "big push" to expunge US military bases frome everywhere in Central Asia has begun long before Obama was even becoming considered for a President.

Well, unfortunately, that's what the neo-cons are best at; massive denial of reality. So it's just par for the course.

[Vympel]

America has been antagonizing Russia since before Bush's term in office. Kosovo was Clinton's doing, after all. It's a bi-partisan fuck up.

Oh well, the great game continues. Pat Buchanan (broken clock that he is) said years ago, that it was a foolish power that took advantage of another's weakness to set up shop in their backyard, and he was right.

[Jaepheth]

Maybe it's a generational thing, but I really don't feel any need to fear Russia. I don't get it, why can't we just get along?

I can't be the only westerner who doesn't see a need to hobble Russia's sovereignty...

[apocolypse]

It seems to me that the title and the corresponding OP is a bit....leaping in its wording, as well as quite the slippery slope. Unless I'm missing a key piece here, countries working together for mutual benefit ! = an Empire. It also doesn't imply that there will be a reformation of some sort. Perhaps it does happen, but at this time there is no proof of such.

Now, as far as conservatives blaming this on Obama. They're welcome to try, but I doubt that they'll find much of a following. He's been in office for less than a month. It's not like he's had much time on the job.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

It seems to me that the title and the corresponding OP is a bit....leaping in its wording, as well as quite the slippery slope. Unless I'm missing a key piece here, countries working together for mutual benefit ! = an Empire. It also doesn't imply that there will be a reformation of some sort. Perhaps it does happen, but at this time there is no proof of such.

Now, as far as conservatives blaming this on Obama. They're welcome to try, but I doubt that they'll find much of a following. He's been in office for less than a month. It's not like he's had much time on the job.

Don't underestimate conservatives.

That said, the Russians now have a combined military and police force under their command with the legal authority to intervene in internal criminal affairs in those countries. That much is sufficient to say that those republics are now Russian vassals.

And that's not a bad thing; the old USSR largely reforming would help bring stability and prosperity to the region, after all.

[K. A. Pital]

Central Asia would certainly benefit more from Russian investment; likewise Russia would benefit from that because decreased social tension and more stability in Central Asia means less crime, less drug and human trafficking coming from those problematic post-Soviet lands.

I don't think Russia would be all too eager to support unstable regimes however; it bit us in the ass in Afghanistan when we were far more powerful, and we would at least need to be sure the supported ruler of a post-Soviet republic can rule it in a stable fashion.

[Samuel]

Maybe it's a generational thing, but I really don't feel any need to fear Russia. I don't get it, why can't we just get along?

I can't be the only westerner who doesn't see a need to hobble Russia's sovereignty...

"Points at sig"

Anyway, I applaud this. Sure, the Russians aren't exactly our allies, but they border China. The more the two of you compete, the better for US and Europe. Additionally, strong policing will cut down on that blasted slave trade- I'm hoping that it is a temporary fixture and not a permanent facet of globalization.

Not to mention that since this is a voluntary agreement, it will probably last as long as the outside threats seem worse than the threat of surrendering autonomy to Russia. Okay, that will probably be long enough for it to become permanent.

[ray245]

I thought China and Russia are allies to each other as well?

[Admiral Drason]

The Chinese and Russians actually hate each other.

[Lord Relvenous]

Well, depending on what IR theory you follow, a system of two equal super-powers is more stable than one super-power unable to enact complete dominance. I can't see the true rise of Russia from the ashes of its economic collapse to regain much of its former power as a bad thing. It stabalizes the area, and hopefully brings a higher standard of living to many of the countries in Central Asia.

I've had the process that Russia is undergoing described to me as the creation of a stream-lined, more efficient Soviet Union. Any truth to that?

[K. A. Pital]

The Chinese and Russians actually hate each other.

Yeah? Evidence?

[mr friendly guy]

The Chinese and Russians actually hate each other.

Actually the relationship between the 2 countries have improved over the past few years, to the extent they have now held joint military exercises. I would characterise it as more neutral than antagonistic.

The Chinese and Russians actually hate each other.

Yeah? Evidence?

No doubt the evidence is from the 1960's-70's.

[apocolypse]

That said, the Russians now have a combined military and police force under their command with the legal authority to intervene in internal criminal affairs in those countries. That much is sufficient to say that those republics are now Russian vassals.

Here's where I would disagree. Perhaps it's semantics, but I do not consider them anything of the nature. Now, if the Tajik et al governments are now obligated to stay in this union with no chance of removing themselves, then I would agree with you. However, I do not see anything stating as much, and would be rather surprised if the countries allowed such a stipulation. They are still autonomous, but have pledged to cooperate for mutual benefit.

[fgalkin]

The Chinese and Russians actually hate each other.

The Chinese hate us so much, there are still monuments to Soviet soldiers in Manchuria which survived the Border Wars and the Cultural Revolution. That's how much they hate us!

Compare that to the Japanese shrines from the 30s, of which not a stone remains.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Bilbo]

That would be a massive denial of reality. The strategic "big push" to expunge US military bases frome everywhere in Central Asia has begun long before Obama was even becoming considered for a President.

Well, unfortunately, that's what the neo-cons are best at; massive denial of reality. So it's just par for the course.

No. It is just politics. Politicians take the credit for sucesses started long before they were in office and get blamed for mistakes started long before as well.

[Sidewinder]

I thought China and Russia are allies to each other as well?

The Chinese and Russians actually hate each other.

Sino-Russian relations are exactly like those between any other nation on Earth: they're allies when this is convenient for their government leaders (Mao Stalin, Mao Truman), and enemies when this is convenient for their government leaders (Mao Krushchev, Mao Nixon). To think otherwise is to be delusional.