![]() Russia’s most senior military officer, Valery Gerasimov, sat stone-faced as Mr. Putin told his generals that he was acting because of the West’s “aggressive comments” about Ukraine. But what made the latest nuclear outburst notable was that it was staged for television, as Mr. Putin has reminded the world, and Washington, that he has a massive arsenal and might be tempted to use it. ![]() It was the second time in a week that Mr. Biden, in Delaware for the weekend, respond to Mr. Similar concerns drove the decision not to have Mr. Putin wants to create that impression, to add to Washington’s unease. Clapper Jr., said in public today what some officials have been saying in private since the Russian leader began accusing Ukraine of genocide and claiming it was developing nuclear weapons of its own. The former director of national intelligence, James R. Putin tests how far he can go and threatens to use the ultimate weapon to get there.Īnd his outburst highlighted anew the question, coursing through the American intelligence community, about the state of mind of the Russian leader, a man previously described as pragmatic, calculating and cunning. Putin for “another escalatory and unnecessary step that threatens us all.” The White House made it clear that America’s own alert status had not changed.īut to many in the administration, who spoke on Sunday on the condition of anonymity, it was a stark reminder of how quickly the Ukraine crisis could spin into a direct superpower confrontation - and how it may yet do so, as Mr. ![]() The American ambassador to the United Nations reminded the Security Council on Sunday afternoon that Russia was “under no threat” and chided Mr. Putin as once again manufacturing a menace, threatening Armageddon for a war he started without provocation.įor now, at least, Mr. Or the president could largely ignore it, sending out aides to portray Mr. They could match the move and put American forces on Defcon 3 - known to moviegoers as that moment when the Air Force rolls out bombers, and nuclear silos and submarines are put on high alert. Putin declared Sunday that he was putting his nuclear forces into “special combat readiness” - a heightened alert status reminiscent of some of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War - President Biden and his aides had a choice. What happens is this: Navy officers aboard the battleship sit down for dinner at the regular time and place and complain that the meal is the worst in weeks: hot corned beef, creamed potatoes and a chewy square of cake.WASHINGTON - When Vladimir V. Four enlisted men, following a schedule set long before, begin painting a narrow passageway, as if nothing was more important before a war than freshly painted bulkheads. In an officer's lounge someone sees stains in a carpet, and an enlisted man hurries over with shampoo and begins to scrub. In the guts of the ship, sailors swab decks. They wedge themselves into their bunks to wait for the call to battle stations, the alarm they already know will sound several hours hence.Įveryone has wished at least once to know the future. Tell me what will happen tomorrow and I will make the most of today - or so people fervently believe. But having the wish come true, at least in this case, offered the Wisconsin's 1,500-member crew little comfort. "Combat is impersonal on board a ship," said Scott Smith, a machinist's mate, one of the people running the Wisconsin's boilers. "The enemy? Of the 135 people in my division, I can count on one hand the number who have had any contact with Arabs. ![]() The rest of them, when you come into a situation where the tension level is this high, people narrow their vision to what will keep you alive."Ĭrew members were unsure how to react to events. When Captain Bill announced the Navy was formally placing all ships in the region on a higher state of alert, called Defcon-2 ("defense condition two," one step below the outbreak of fighting, or Defcon-1), an officer hurriedly consulted a spy novel to learn what it meant. RTC Captain Bill used the public address system to tell the crew roughly what people expect a ship's commanding officer to say: "My best guess is that we will launch Tomahawk missiles north toward Iraq sometime on the mid-watch tonight. Gentlemen, we are ready." Sailors cheered. Until the Catholic chaplain spoke, it seemed like another entertaining novel.
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