Russia's strategic error in putting missils on the border

Times:

President Medvedev ordered missiles to be stationed up against Nato’s borders yesterday to counter American plans to build a missile defence shield.

Speaking within hours of Barack Obama’s election, Mr Medvedev announced that Russia would base Iskander missiles in its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad – the former German city – next to the border with Poland.

He did not say whether the short-range missiles would carry nuclear warheads.

Taking advantage of the world’s attention on the US elections, Mr Medvedev also cancelled plans to withdraw three intercontinental ballistic missile regiments from western Russia by 2010.

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Missiles are called strategic weapons for among other things being well back from the front lines where they would be vulnerable to tactical attacks by adversaries. While Russia might think it is clever to get the missiles close to where the missile defense system is located, it has also put its missiles at risk in a position where NATO would not need missile defense to take them out.

There is a reason why the US stations its B-2 stealth bombers in Missouri in the middle of the US. It would be very difficult for an adversary to get to them to take them out in a preemptive strike.

The Russians are doing all this because they have the nutty idea that a defensive missile system aimed at Iranian missiles somehow threatens Russian national security. That is so illogical it is beyond description. They have never been able to come up with a coherent explanation for this paranoia.