Thank you for your reply-very informative. Where does Bush get the nerve to talk babout disproportionate force and attacking a sovereign nation. Does he not know that the U.S. issued the Monroe Doctrine, expanded it, and ioccupied Latin American nations many times during the 1900's.? Then there was the invasion of Castro's Cuba by the freedom fighters that everyone knew were trained and supplied by America. JFK could not tolerate ballistic missiles in Cuba, but we expect Putin to allow Russia to be surrounded by missiles. Talk about "disproportionate force" - how about Vietnam and shock and awe.over Baghdad. Nixon tried to bomb Vietnam into submission and invaded Cambodia under the euphemism of "incursion." Rummy bragged about the obscene bombing of Baghdad as though the rest of the world should applalud as though it were a fiewworks display.

If there is any nation on earth that adores military power more than America, then name if for me. If there is any naiton on earth that sticks its nose into other nations affairs and can't smell the stench in itself, then name it for me.

Anyone who thinks Putin is going to let Russia be encircled by NATO is picking on the wrong man.