“They’re our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see
Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska”
—Sarah Palin, Vice Presidential candidate, ABC News interview, 2008-09-11
They're a whole lot closer than that.
From Forbes, August 28:
Russian Navy Submarine Surfaces Off Alaska; Likely Same One That Fired Cruise Missile Earlier In Exercise
A Russian submarine reported off the Alaskan coast on Thursday is likely to be the same one that fired a cruise missile in a naval exercise. U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) stated that the submarine surfaced and is being monitored by U.S. forces. It may have surfaced because of an emergency. And it is not the only unusual Russian Navy submarine movement that has caught analysts’ attention.....MORE
U.S. officials said the submarine was taking part in a Russian military exercise. A Russian state media report (in Russian) on the exercise said the submarine ‘Omsk’ fired a cruise missile at a target in the Bering Sea, which is between Siberia and Alaska.
The circumstances of the surfacing are unclear. It is not normal for submarines to come to the surface near another country's coast. USNORTHCOM’s statements on Twitter raise questions as to whether something is wrong: “We have not received any requests for assistance from the Russian Navy or other mariners in the area. We always stand ready to assist those in distress.” This may imply that there is an emergency aboard which the U.S. Navy is aware of....
“Russia, this is, without question, our number one geopolitical foe”
—Mitt Romney, Presidential candidate, CNN interview, March 26, 2012
"Gov. Romney, I'm glad you recognize al-Qaida is a threat, because a few
months ago when you were
asked what is the biggest geopolitical group
facing America, you said Russia, not al-Qaida" "You said
Russia.
And the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy
back. Because the Cold War has been over for 20 years....
—President Barack Obama to Romney, third presidential debate, October 22, 2012.
