From: Jeff Gostin <jgostin@eternal.pha.pa.us>
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 94 09:06:03 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: (None)
Message-ID: <940624112412J9wjgostin@eternal.pha.pa.us>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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pcw@access.digex.net (Peter Wayner) writes:

> "Fewer" enemies?
     I am of the opinion that most of the Post SU countries will amount to
no serious threat. Remember, most of our problem was with Moscow. Most of
the SU didn't especially care about us -- they were more concerned with
eating dinner that night. As a result, yes, there are a few emerging hot
spots, but they aren't _our_ enemies. The Bosnia deal is a local political
problem. It is _not_ a threat to US security, much as Clinton would like
us to think it is... ;-)

> Croatia etc... We didn't need to monitor the different governments in the
> different regions.  
     True, but, most of that died. Yugoslavia, for example, is hardly a
threat to us. Our problems in the past were mostly with Moscow. Most of
the rest of the SU was not an issue. So yes, we have more governments to
watch, but fewer enemies.

> The ex-SU is now split into too many pieces for me to count. Some of them
> have nuclear weapons that they don't want to turn over. Others have military
> ships.
     Yes, they have Nukes. If I did, in their shoes, you're damn right I
wouldn't want to give them up! Yes, they bear watching. Hell, even Israel,
our military ally, bears watching. That doesn't mean they require the same
level of surveillance.

> North Korea, the Mid East and Cuba are the only places that still need the
> same amount of attention that they needed during the Cold War. This is
> because they're already maxed out. 
     NK is a hot spot at the moment. Even if the C/W was still in effect
and the SU still in force, NK would probably still be a problem now. The
Middle Eastern area still requires a mind-boggling amount of watching.
That situation is just too volatile not to watch it. However, I find it
hard to buy into the fact that we're going to give 100% to Middle East,
and the same 100% to Russia, who not only still can't feed it's people,
but has SERIOUS financial problems. 


                                             --Jeff

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