RUSSIA - U.S NEW ARMS RACE

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Severe Storms Injure 27 in Ark. 3-Mozambique hit by more flooding after cyclone rain. 4-Winter storm blamed for 7 traffic deaths in U.S. 5-Nerves frayed as storm drops more snow in St. John's. 6-Iran says fires first rocket into space. 7-European nations reject Abbas plea on sanctions. 8-Mideast quartet cannot order peace: German FM. 9-RUSSIA – U.S.A. A new arms race?

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)

Update time = Mon Feb 26 12:00 AM EDT

FEB 25,07
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN IDAHO
MAP 3.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.9 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF KORYAKIA, RUSSIA
MAP 3.2 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.9 NEAR S. COAST OF WESTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 3.2 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.9 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 5.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.9 GREENLAND SEA
MAP 2.6 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.7 CENTRAL PERU
MAP 3.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.7 WYOMING
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.0 XIZANG-QINGHAI BORDER REGION
MAP 2.6 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.7 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA

FEB 24,07
MAP 5.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.3 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.2 KEPULAUAN SULA, INDONESIA
MAP 2.9 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.5 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 5.2 POTOSI, BOLIVIA
MAP 4.8 OFF THE COAST OF ECUADOR
MAP 2.5 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.9 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 5.2 VANUATU REGION
MAP 5.2 OFF THE COAST OF ECUADOR
MAP 3.1 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 3.1 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 5.0 KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA
MAP 6.2 NEAR THE COAST OF NORTHERN PERU
MAP 3.2 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Severe Storms Injure 27 in Ark.
Saturday, February 24, 2007 - By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press Writer

DUMAS, Ark. A series of severe storms in southern Arkansas catapulted cars into trees, crumpled businesses and ripped mobile homes off the ground Saturday. At least 27 people were injured.Residents reported seeing multiple tornadoes, and the National Guard was being called in to assist with cleanup. The region was left without electricity, and authorities said an unknown number of people were missing.At Fred's Dollar store, employees ducked as items came raining from the
shelves. When it was over, the store was nothing more than a tangle of twisted metal and crumbled concrete blocks.I hit the floor. Lord, all the debris was falling on us: the iron, the tin, said Bobbie Thomas, who works at the store. I said 'Lord, all I want you to do is save us today. It's in your hands.

The storms occurred as a massive system that caused blizzard conditions in the Midwest moved through the region.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities, but authorities said residents were unaccounted for and began a door-to-door search in the city, which is about 90 miles southeast of Little Rock.Forecasters said the damage could have been done by a tornado or by straight-line winds that could have exceeded 70 mph. Forecasters were on the scene to examine debris patterns and look for clues about where the storms traveled.James Robinson of Winchester said he pulled into a McDonald's parking lot and ran from his car when he saw a black cloud coming. It sounded just like a locomotive train, not real fast, said Robinson. He said he helped a woman into the store, then hid in the restaurant's walk-in freezer.Damage was reported in a five-mile-long, half-mile-wide swath to the south and east of the city. The National Weather Service said it had a report of cars being thrown into trees near the city. Authorities said a couple in Urbana was injured when their mobile home blew away, and a truck carrying wood chips was blown off a roadway. A tractor trailer flipped over in a parking lot.Elsewhere, winds reaching 60 mph helped fuel dozens of grass fires across Texas, destroying three homes near Midland and forcing evacuations at Fort Hood, authorities said. No injuries were reported.A tornado also was reported in the western Missouri town of Holden Saturday, and officials said several houses and structures were damaged or destroyed. In Oklahoma, high winds knocked out power to more than 10,000 homes and destroyed two mobile homes.

Mozambique hit by more flooding after cyclone rain By Charles Mangwiro FEB 25,07

BEIRA, Mozambique (Reuters) - Heavy rains from a cyclone sparked more flooding in Mozambique on Sunday, worsening a humanitarian crisis that has already killed 45 people and forced 140,000 from their homes. The Buzi river in central Sofala province overflowed its banks at dawn, threatening up to 145,000 people in the district, after the remnants of cyclone Favio pounded the area.We are facing a
serious flooding drama, district administrator Sergio Moyane told Reuters in area capital Beira. There are many houses under water and many fields have been swamped.The cyclone slammed into the coast on Thursday, killing five people near the southern tourist town of Vilanculos, and although it was downgraded to a tropical storm, it brought pounding rains to a region already struggling to cope with flooding.Moyane said the storm damaged buildings as it swept through the area on Saturday, bringing downpours that filled the already swollen Buzi river.

Sugar cane fields were in danger of being damaged, he added.

Relief workers are battling to supply food and fresh water to some 140,000 people who have been displaced by flooding in four central provinces. The floods have killed 40 people and 53,000 people have moved to accommodation centers.Neighboring South Africa and the European Union on Saturday both pledged more help for the relief effort.

SEARCH FOR VICTIMS

Further south near Vilanculos, a resort town that bore the full brunt of the cyclone's 270 kph (170 mph) winds on Thursday, authorities were searching for affected people in the area.Because of the communication problems we are still looking for people either stranded or injured, said Casmiro Abreu, spokesman for the emergency operation center run by Mozambique's national relief agency INGC.Officials were seeking to help 36,000 people in the area who lost virtually all their possessions.

We are currently distributing a little amount of food which we have and building toilets, Abreu said.Tourists were airlifted on Friday from hotels in the Bazaruto archipelago, a string of islands 40 km (25 miles) off the coast in the Indian Ocean dotted with luxury resorts.But 300 local inhabitants were still stranded on the islands, where the cyclone reduced the resorts to rubble, and officials said boats were being dispatched to rescue them.The former Portuguese colony, recovering from a devastating 16-year political conflict, saw its worst disaster on record in 2000-2001.A series of cyclones then compounded widespread flooding in southern and central parts of the country, killing 700 people and driving close to half a million from their homes.

Winter storm blamed for 7 traffic deaths in U.S.
Last Updated: Saturday, February 24, 2007 - The Associated Press

A large, fast-moving snowstorm closed sections of major highways in parts of the central United States on Saturday, dumped more than 30 centimetres of snow on the Upper Midwest and caused seven traffic deaths in Wisconsin.

The storms knocked out power to more than 145,000 customers, mostly in Iowa, where freezing rain coated trees, power and utility lines. Outages were also reported in Oklahoma and Nebraska.The snow is so wet it's sticking to power poles and power lines, said Bill Taylor of the National Weather Service office in North Platte, Neb.As the massive system moved through the region known as the Great Plains, fierce winds tossed cars into trees, destroyed businesses and yanked mobile homes off the ground in southern Arkansas. At least 27 people were injured.

Earlier Saturday in Colorado, Interstate 70, a major cross-country route, was closed for about 640 kilometres in both directions from just east of Denver to Salina, Kan., because of blowing snow and slippery pavement.Between Denver and the beginning of the highway closure, about 35 cars collided in a pileup in whiteout conditions on an icy section of I-70. No major injuries were reported.The weather service reported wind gusts of nearly 110 kilometres per hour in the Denver area. In Kansas, winds whipped about eight centimetres of snowfall into drifts more than two metres high.A number of other highways also were closed in Wyoming and Nebraska. But many roads reopened later Saturday, including most of Interstate 80 in Nebraska. More than 430 kilometres there had been closed.The weather service posted blizzard and winter storm warnings for parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, northern Illinois and Wisconsin.From 35 to 45 centimetres of snow had fallen between Winona, Minn., and La Crosse, Wis., by Saturday evening, the National Weather Service reported.Airlines canceled 230 arrivals and departures at Chicago's O'Hare International and 40 at Midway in anticipation of snow, sleet and freezing rain, said Wendy Abrams, Chicago's aviation department spokeswoman.United Airlines planned to cancel all flights at O'Hare after 7 p.m. ET, spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said.The Canadian Press, 2007

Nerves frayed as storm drops more snow in St. John's
Winter warnings issued for much of island, Labrador
Saturday, February 24, 2007 CBC News

An overnight storm in Newfoundland and Labrador cancelled flights and activities Saturday, as police warned of frayed nerves and snow rage.

The storm passed over much of Newfoundland overnight. Environment Canada posted weather warnings covering blowing snow and rainfall forNewfoundland's eastern and northeastern coastlines and much of Labrador.Sidewalks in many parts of St. John's have been difficult to navigate because of heavy snowfalls.(CBC) About 15 centimetres of snow fell on St. John's late Friday and early Saturday, before changing to freezing rain.The storm followed a blizzard that immobilized eastern Newfoundland earlier in the week. High winds and heavy drifting made road clearing difficult, and have left narrow paths on many streets in St. John's.The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said some people are not handling the stress of winter weather, and that officers in St. John's have responded to about 10 calls per day on snow-related disputes.

Generally it's all about neighbours pushing snow up on someone else's property [or] pushing snow in the road and then the plow would push the snow into the next person's driveway, said Const. Sean O'Reilly.Some calls have been about issues as minor as stolen shovels, although there have been occasions where disputes have turned nasty.Usually we send an officer along to mediate there and come up with a resolution, O'Reilly said. We wouldn't want to see any neighbours fall out and
potentially be charged with assault or threats.In another month or so the snow will be gone and then, if you get up getting charged and getting a criminal record, well, you'll have to deal with that for the rest of your life.David Hudson, a mail carrier in downtown St. John's, says he is annoyed when homeowners don't shovel a path, but said he's learned to keep his cool during the winter.

I've got 31 years in, so I've had enough time to develop an attitude toward this …. If you don't, I don't think you'd be able to handle it, Hudson said.Saturday's storm has been powerful enough to cancel many activities. Libraries in St. John's closed Saturday morning, and recreational programs closed for the day. Flights in and out of St. John's International Airport were cancelled for at least Saturday morning.Paul Mackey, director of public works with the City of St. John's, said the storm should not throw snow clearing efforts off schedule.Right now, all the streets are open, and we don't foresee any problem in keeping them open, Mackey said Saturday morning.The city has said, though, that the blizzard that hit the city on Monday and Tuesday was so severe that it will take as long as three weeks for all streets to be widened properly.

Wanda Rideout, a senior meteorologist at the Gander Weather Centre, said Saturday's storm will have a wide effect.Pretty much the whole island will be affected by this, because it's slow-moving and widespread. But the areas that will be affected the most are the coastal northeast areas, Rideout said.On Labrador's coast, rainfall and snowfall warnings were in effect on Saturday morning.

Iran says fires first rocket into space by Stuart Williams FEB 25,07

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran said on Sunday it had successfully launched its first rocket into space for research purposes, at a time of mounting tension with the West over its nuclear programme. The rocket reached an altitude of 150 kilometres (93 miles) but did not stay in orbit, said Ali Akbar Golrou, deputy head of Iran's aerospace research centre.He described the rocket as a sounding rocket one used for research purposes and said it returned to earth with the assistance of a parachute, the Fars news agency reported.The first space rocket has been successfully launched into space, a state television anchor announced.The rocket was carrying material intended for research created by the ministries of science and defence, Mohsen Bahrami, the head of the aerospace centre, told the channel.He did not give further details on the nature of the payload. State television has yet to broadcast pictures of the launch.The altitude of 150 kilometres is above the internationally accepted boundary between the earth's atmosphere and space, which is agreed at 100 kilometres (62 miles) above the surface and is known as the Karman line.Iran's claim of success in launching a space rocket appears to be the first major step towards its stated ambition of putting home-made satellites into space using Iranian-made rockets.Iran has in recent years pressed ahead with a nascent space programme, which has already seen an Iranian Russian-made satellite put into orbit by a Russian rocket in October 2005.

That satellite, Sina-1, was Iran's first and so far only probe to be launched into space, and was described by the Iranian press at the time as being for research and telecommunications.Iran has said it plans to construct and launch several more satellites over the next three years.Officials were quick to emphasise that the rocket had been manufactured using Iran's own resources, echoing similar statements about its nuclear programme.All the tests (leading up to the launch) have been carried out in the country's industrial facilities in line with international regulations, said Bahrami.The manufacture of the rocket and the cargo was achieved by experts at the centre of aerospace research and the engineering centre at the ministry of agricultural planning, he added.Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najar said the US trade embargo imposed after the Islamic revolution in 1979 had spurred Iran to press ahead with its own space programme.The sanctions of the enemies in the area of aerospace have allowed us to develop our aviation, space and electronics industries, he said.We are working on constructing satellites and on rockets capable of launching a satellite into space.

The Islamic republic has recently boasted of its scientists' progress not just in nuclear energy but also in medicine, where it has announced the development of new therapies for AIDS and spinal-cord disorder patients.

Iran has also announced it is developing a plasma-thrusting engine to help guide satellites in its space programme. Iran's announcement that it has succeeded in launching its first rocket into space comes amid mounting tensions with the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme, which Washington alleges is a cover for weapons development. OPEC's number two producer denies the charges, saying its atomic drive is solely aimed at supply energy for a growing population. US Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday reignited speculation of US military intervention in Iran when he said Washington favours a diplomatic approach to Tehran's atomic programme but that all options are still on the table.

European nations reject Abbas plea on sanctions
Associated Press ,St Petersberg Times Tampa Bay Published February 25, 2007

PARIS - Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas ended his European tour Saturday without persuading any country to end crippling economic sanctions based on his power-sharing deal with the rival Islamic militant group Hamas.The bright spot in his trip was a promise Saturday from French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy to work with a government that includes Hamas and Abbas' more moderate Fatah Party. His comments were more positive than those of other European leaders during Abbas' four-country tour. But Douste-Blazy made no commitments on resuming aid frozen since Hamas won parliamentary elections a year ago.Europe's governments remained firm: Any new Palestinian government must recognize Israel's right to exist before direct international aid can resume.I encouraged Mr. Abbas to persevere in his efforts to quickly form a national unity government, Douste-Blazy said.If the government is formed according to the power-sharing deal worked out with the Saudi king in the Islamic holy city of Mecca last month, France will be ready to cooperate with it, Douste-Blazy said. And our country will plead on its behalf within the European Union and with other partners in the international community.Abbas, who also traveled to Britain, Germany and Belgium, welcomed the pledge from France. But it was unclear how far France could go in supporting the Palestinians without the backing of the rest of the EU or other members of the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators: the United States, Russia and the United Nations.Half of the Palestinian Authority's budget came from foreign assistance until much of it was frozen last year over Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept existing peace agreements with Israel. The power-sharing deal skirts those demands.

We hope that the embargo will be lifted, Abbas said after meeting French President Jacques Chirac on Saturday.

If not ... the Palestinian people would continue to suffer and the sanctions would continue to cause damage.European leaders cautiously welcomed the power-sharing deal, an effort to end clashes between Hamas and Fatah that have left more than 130 dead since May.But EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told Abbas in Brussels that the EU would not make a decision on aid until a new Palestinian government is in office.The speaker of the Palestinian Parliament, Ahmed Baher, of Hamas, said in Gaza on Saturday that the government would be formed by the first week of March. Israel has ruled out talks on a final peace deal with Abbas if he goes ahead with the coalition.

Mideast quartet cannot order peace: German FM
Berlin, Feb 25, IRNA Germany-Mideast-Quartet

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Saturday stressed that the Middle East quartet cannot order peace between Israeli and Palestinians only three days after a meeting of the Mideast quartet in Berlin failed to produce any concrete results.

We should not anticipate any wrong expectations. The Mideast is not a world court which can order peace, Steinmeier said in an interview with the daily Die welt. He made clear that quartet remained the proper forum for international efforts to coordinate the Israeli- Palestinian rapprochement. Steinmeier said despite disagreements in the quartet, all sides emained committed to coordinate the Israeli- Palestinian peace dialogue. The Mideast quartet will soon meet again at the ministerial level, said the German minister who has earlier warned of unrealistic expectations in rejuvenating the Mideast peace process. The Mideast quartet took a wait-and-see stance on the new Palestinian government of national unity at Wednesday evening's meeting in Berlin. A carefully-worded statement released by the Mideast quartet reiterated the three preconditions - recognition of Israel, renunciation of violence, and acceptance of all past Israeli- Palestinian peace agreements, for supporting the new Hamas-Fatah government. The Mideast quartet avoided also any clear support for the new Palestinian power-sharing accord. While Russia and the European Union have signaled their support for the formation of the Palestinian government, the US has repeatedly expressed strong doubts whether such a government could jump-start the stalled Mideast peace talks. On Friday German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas agreed during their meeting in Berlin that US-backed road map remained the main guideline in pressing ahead with the Middle East peace process. The road map is the way we seek to resolve the problems of our people and to lift the unjust boycott, Abbas said at a joint news conference with Merkel at the chancellery.

The Palestinian leader was pointing to western financial sanctions imposed in January 2006 following the stunning electoral triumph of Hamas in the Palestinian general elections. Meanwhile Merkel hailed plans for the formation of Palestinian overnment, reiterating that the new Hamas-Fatah power sharing accord must comply with the principles of the road map. The German leader warned that a very difficult road laid ahead in the fragile Middle East peace process. There is much to do on the road to a two-state solution, stressed Merkel who has not missed an occasion to express her die-hard support for Israel. She also urged continued talks between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. As the rotating European Union Presidency, Germany spearheaded efforts to revive the Mideast quartet comprised of the US, Russia, the UN and EU.

RUSSIA – U.S.A. A new arms race? Vladimir Putin’s fierce onslaught on the Bush administration have aroused diverse interpretations, none of them positive BY ELSA CLARO —Granma International staff writer FEB 25,07

THE strongest criticisms of the United States expressed by Russia so far have taken place during a NATO defense ministers’ summit in Munich. Speaking of the military organization, Vladimir Putin said that he was against it as a replacement for the UN, alluding to at least two interpretations. One refers to the fact that Washington passed over the head of the international organization when it warned that it would positively endorse the invasion of Iraq. And two, concerning the Bush administration’s current steps aimed at creating new military installations in central Europe, despite the fact that during talks for the reunification of Germany in 1990, it was agreed that none would be created beyond Germany itself. It so happens that Washington is disposed to deploy parts of its so-called anti-missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland. To that respect and reaffirming the Russian president’s statement, Serguei Ivanov currently defense minister and recently promoted to Russian vice-president stated that the pretexts employed to install parts of the aforementioned shield in these two East European nations are implausible.

Look on the map, exactly where the Czech Republic and North Korea are located, and you will see that the argument does not appear to be credible. And with respect to Iran, Tehran has missiles with a range of 1,400 to 1,600 kilometers.

The range of attack is, therefore, more critical for Israel and for Russian territory itself than for NATO. And in the case that Iran reaches the stage of possessing missiles with a reach of 5,000 kilometers, although these things do not happen overnight, the shield would have to be installed in places like Turkey, Afghanistan or Iraq itself, given that the best time to destroy rockets is when they are fired.Ivanov had previously referred to the issue before his counterparts, during another recent meeting in Seville, where he confirmed that we will not return to another arms race but we will develop our own strategic systems this is not a threat but we want to be absolutely sure that we will not be exposed to any political or military threat under any circumstances.These statements are based on the information that the United States has been outlaying more on military spending than during the Cold War period. At the Munich conference, of course, representatives from the Bush administration urged NATO members to invest military spending in Afghanistan, affirming that a potential failure in that Central Asian nation would be a disgrace for the organization.

In this area, the Russian leader had said that the U.S. administration is provoking a new arms race, given that the small nations have acquired interest in developing nuclear weapons as a result of the policies of U.S. might.Putin said in Munich and repeated his statement to the Al Jazeera station that his country is hoping for the return of a multipolar world as the current unipolarity of the United States signifies in practice just one thing: a center of power, a center of force, a center of decision-making, that would act as the only sovereign state. Besides this, he also made reference to the exaggerated and almost incontrollable use of force in international relations, clarifying that Russia does not want the role of a superpower and has no intention of entering into conflict with anyone but it will attempt to influence the construction of a new world order.As a consolidation of his statement, just a few days later at a meeting in New Delhi, the foreign ministers of China, India and Russia signed a document which confirmed their commitment to give life to a new world system that is stable and balanced.

It would be achieved through reforms to the UN and the democratization of world relations. They are three nuclear powers, each with a significant land mass and a high number of inhabitants and, also, are all in a stage of economic expansion. Uniting in the idea of promoting harmony and international understanding and finding common ground in diverging interests is certainly commendable during this complex stage.That trilateral axis, as some media channels have begun to describe it, established in the final communiqué of their meeting that anti-terrorist activities cannot be carried out selectively, but must be fought in a global way and without double standards.Criticism of the United States is evident in these statements. Putin’s was direct on this and other topics. Terrorists don’t need missiles. There are, for example, suicide terrorists. He was alluding to the anti-missile equipment that Washington is attempting to install in the vicinity of Russia’s borders. Shortly afterwards, the Kremlin announced that it will abandon the Treaty on Medium-Range Nuclear Weapons (signed by the USSR in 1987) if the United States insists on installing its facilities in central Europe. With respect to Iraq, the president
described the situation as worrying, appalling and tragic.

Criteria imposed from outside and which do not emerge from the natural development of the same society from within, only bring with them tragedy. The best example of this is Iraq, emphasized Putin, referring to the criticisms and impositions of the White House model on other nations. For some analysts, these strong statements are just one expression of current dissatisfaction. For others, it is just bravado. Meanwhile, there are those who are seeing the issue as the inevitable fruit of U.S. actions to encircle Russia militarily. Time will tell who is right and what point the conflict will reach.