US scares Europe with ‘mythical’ Russian threat to justify military costs – Russian envoy to NATO
“The United States and its representatives have repeatedly said that Russia poses a threat to the United States. Many said it was almost an existential threat, but the underlying reason, in my opinion, is obvious,”Russia’s permanent envoy to NATO Aleksandr Grushko, said.
In just one year, the Pentagon’s defense budget request has grown by $2.4 billion. The department is currently hoping for Congressional approval of $582.7 billion. On top of regular expenditures, the sum also includes nearly $60 billion in the overseas contingency operations fund.
To justify the spending boost, the Pentagon officials have resorted to blaming “Russia’s aggression, terrorism by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and others” as challenges that affected its “planning and budgeting.”
A “strategic threat” from Russia is one of the reasons why Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is urging “practical updates” to the Pentagon’s organizational framework.
Pentagon chief seeks reforms, calls Russia ‘No. 1 strategic threat’ http://on.rt.com/798z
Last week, the Pentagon announced a plan to increase its troop presence in “the European theater” of up to three fully-manned Army brigades by the end of 2017, citing “an aggressive Russia in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.”
However, according to Grushko, Washington is pursuing its internal interests and other goals than protecting its NATO allies, when it cries a “Russian threat.”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
