What are we to make of this?

It's an item that anytime from the 50s to the 80s would have gotten major play, with members of Congress running for microphones to tell anyone and everyone - especially their constituents - how very, very deeply concerned they were.

Moscow (AP, November 17) - President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is developing a new form of nuclear missile unlike those held by other countries, news agencies reported. ...

No details were immediately available, but Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said earlier this month that Russia expected to test-fire a mobile version of its Topol-M ballistic missile this year and that production of the new weapon could be commissioned in 2005.

News reports have also said Russia is believed to be developing a next-generation heavy nuclear missile that could carry up to 10 nuclear warheads weighing a total of 4.4 tons, compared with the Topol-M's 1.32-ton combat payload. ...

Earlier this year, a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling news agencies that Russia had developed a weapon that could make the United States' proposed missile-defense system useless. Details were not given, but military analysts said the claimed new weapon could be a hypersonic cruise missile or maneuverable ballistic missile warheads.

Multiple warheads (MIRVs) and maneuverable reentry vehicles (MaRVs) are nothing new to the US arsenal - and, as people have likely long since forgotten, the original purpose of MIRVs was to overwhelm missile defense systems - so I'm not sure exactly what "form of nuclear missile unlike those held by other countries" Putin is talking about. A hypersonic cruise missile would fill that bill, it's true, but he could also be referring simply to the overall size of the payload of the new Topol-M. (The US has tended to focus on smaller, more accurate warheads in lieu of bigger ones.)

Still, it will be interesting to see what kind of attention this gets. It does indicate that Russia still sees itself as in a rivalry with the US and that, as it long has, it sees plans for a missile defense system as a threat, the fact that it's very unlikely to work notwithstanding. It also means that the risk of nuclear war, neglected and ignored, is still quite real.

However, even with this announcement, even with a subsequent deployment, there is no rational reason to feel a threat of unprovoked attack. Which brings us back to the question of what play this will get. If there's a lot, if there are administration officials referring to this and making huffing noises about "a dangerous world" - especially if they refer to "old enemies" or "re-emerging threats" - it should be taken as an indication that the administration wants a second fear front, perhaps concerned that terrorism is becoming old hat, that while people are still worried about it, it just doesn't have that old sparkle, especially as Iraq continues to go down the tubes. If they just let it slide, well, we can conclude the opposite, that they think that the "new" threat of "The terrorists are after you!" works better for them than the "old" threat of "The commies are after you!"

So far, the "play it down" line appears to be getting the emphasis.

"We are confident that Russia's plans are "not threatening and are consistent with its obligations, and I think are indicative of a new strategic relationship between the United States and Russia that is focused on reducing threats and increasing confidence," deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters.

So reported CNN. However, the same article also said

But State Department officials told CNN on condition of anonymity that although they don't think Putin's comments are anything to worry about, they will be seeking further clarification from the Russians about the specific modernizations in Moscow's program.

"As far as we can tell there is nothing to be concerned about, but Putin did not give a lot of detail," one official said. "We are trying to figure out what he meant. Did he mean what we think he means or is this something that is not covered by the treaty?"

So both options are still in play.

Footnote, Huh? Div.: Bush and Putin actually should get along. They both speak the same language.

Putin reportedly said: "International terrorism is one of the major threats for Russia. We understand as soon as we ignore such components of our defense as a nuclear and missile shield, other threats may occur."

Uh, what? Terrorism is a threat because you ignored nuclear weapons? What?