Wolverines?!

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Friday, February 19, 2010 - 12:40 PM Share

Speaking of Colorado, Defense Secretary Gates apparently wants to re-name the Iraq mess Operation New Dawn. I hate these Orwellian names.

Speaking of the Russians, I see where the Putin regime is expressing alarm over Iran's nuclear plans. Germany too. Maybe the Obama strategy is working...

EXPLORE:IRAQ, MILITARY, OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, RUSSIA

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TYRTAIOS

4:37 AM ET

February 21, 2010

Wolverines, Putin, and Elvis

Forget about Vladimir Putin for a moment, he has an even bigger problem on his hands: Russia has turned in a dismal performance in garnering medals at the winter Olympics in Vancouver (nice town), and Russian popular opinion back home isn't happy - although, one has to admit their female ice skaters are darlings.

Remember, Putin is an avid downhill snow skier himself, and will be seeing to it a lot of money is spent on hosting the next Olympics in Sochi, which incidentally, Moscow has been dislocating the inhabitants to make room for the event. This is money that won’t be available for oil exploration and tricky drilling in Siberia - something Russia will need foreign investment and technology for. And now Putin has another distraction in finding new coaches and sports directors.

As for wolverines? Forget about them also for the moment too. What this really might be about is former Israeli Prime Minister Olmert’s 2009 meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. You will recall (surely you do?) that Israel pulled-out all their military advisors in Georgia prior to Russia’s incursion (somehow knowing it was coming, unlike the U.S. of A.). You see, Israel does not want Russia back in the Middle East creating mischief and is trying to get along.

Getting back to Iran, and why old Serg may have mentioned there was now Russian concern over Iran’s nuclear program: the gossip is: Olmert, in that 2009 meeting with Lavrov, may have delivered a list of Russian nuclear scientists Israel had put together, that have been working with Tehran on their nuclear program. Moscow probably knew some of their former scientists were working with Iran on missile programs, but Israel snuck in a couple nuclear physicists/engineers that took the Ivans by surprise.

Now, about wolverines and Putin. Both are weasels, and with Russia very close to delivering their SA-10 Grumble (S-300) long range surface-to-air missile system along with advisors to Iran. Valdimir Putin my be concerned Iran is closer to developing a nuclear device than they suspected, and along with the pending delivery of the Grumble, Putin is worried about a preemptive military strike by Israel. A strike, which would drag the United States in, and consequently wreck relations between Moscow and Washington. Which might cause America boycotting the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, thereby depriving Putin of getting revenge in the medals category.

Incidentally, has anyone seen an Elvis Presely sighting lately - those are of concern to me also. : )