Alliances, current configuration

Whether we talk about India and Pakistan, China and Taiwan, the US and Iran, the larger picture is equally important if not crucial for the outcome of a conflict.
So integrating a thread about current alliances to this forum would be most useful for that, IMO.

What are in your opinion today's alliances? Is there any substance to the BRIC alliance or is that wishful thinking? Is Pakistan now firmly in the US camp, and does that throw India the other way? etc.
Please bring interesting info not only opinions.

To get the appetite starting, have a look at this view:

http://www.olavodecarvalho.org/english/tex...unist_noose.htm

Hi Imperialist,

What BRIC Alliance?

Do Brazil, Russia, India and China have any formal exclusive relations between themselves on any level at all? Military? Political? Economic? Diplomatic?

Simply being countries that are not the USA does mean that they constitute an "alliance" agaionst the USA. Cambodia, Rwanda, Andorra and Panama are also not the USA and would appear to have about the same level of formal alliance between them. Are they to be known by their acronym as well?

Cheers,

Sid.

So from your sarcastic answer I can see you opt for it being wishful thinking.
Thank you.

Are you trying to tell us you haven't heard of the famous CRAP alliance?

On a more serious note, I don't think the US can afford to "choose sides" over the Pakistan/India issue. Rather, we are carefully walking a tightrope in trying to balance and keep both governments equally close to us.

This post has been edited by mabadesc on December 23, 2005 04:05 am

That link was precious!
Alliances seem to disolve rather then develop now. US is keeping all Cold War allies and added quite a few new ones while no other formal or informal alliances exist.
Not even between the arabs, or China and North Koreea.
Turkey seems to create a link between NATO and Israel.

Amazingly, the US seems to be doing a good job of it now, after years of obviously favoring Pakistan. It does not hurt that India and Pakistan are not at each other's throats quite so badly recently.

Certainly, the US does not want to choose sides. The US can only lose by India and Pakistan fighting each other (or even hating each other without fighting).

Isn't that the job of the US?

Seriously though, the Turkey link is important, particularly that it is with a majority-Muslim state.

Iranian president in Damascus to consolidate alliance with Syria

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/672479.html

TEHRAN (AFP) - Defence ministers from close allies Iran and Syria have signed an agreement for military cooperation against what they called the "common threats" presented by Israel and the United States.

Although the two refused to give specifics about the agreement for military cooperation, Najjar said Iran "considers Syria's security its own security, and we consider our defense capabilities to be those of Syria."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060615/wl_mi...ry_060615131339

Russia may relocate Black Sea Fleet to Syrian port - paper

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060602/48956476.html

Venezuela receives Russian jets

Venezuela has received its first two of 24 Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia

Russia has become the largest weapons supplier to Venezuela with recent deals to sell 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles, 24 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and 53 Russian helicopters.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=J...icle%2FShowFull

why the heck would chavez spend money on sukhois? is he planning to fight the US with those?

better look at the talibans or the insurgency. those guys are doing a good job.


maybe he wants to turn venezuela into a regional power.


oh man. chavez is aparently oblivious to the fact that his only ppoint of interest is bashing the US on a regular basis. without that, he would be just another controversial ruler of a dirt-poor (even though rich in oil) latin american country.

this transaction was more of a gift to Putin that a gift to Venezuela.
Russia STRONG!!!

Several off topic posts were deleted.

The US government have placed an embargo on arms sale to Venezuela, that includes spare parts for F-16 fighters. So Mr Chavez have no choice to turn elswhere to buy weapons. With common frontier with Columbia, wich is backed by the US, having a good army is a necessity in this part of the world.

That was my reaction to that weapons sale too. What's the point? Iraq had a lot more than 24 modern Russian fighters in 1991, and what good did it do them? Low-tech, people's war and urban guerrilla is definitely the way to go.

Chavez is drawing a very simplistic (I would say stupid) lesson if he looks at Iraq and Afghanistan and assumes that the U.S. is just weak. A conventional, force-on-force contest is the worst way to oppose the U.S. military, because it's what they're built for.

I have to assume they're just trophies, and a diplomatic statement. In a real war, the Texas Air National Guard could defeat them in a weekend.