Russia joins China in building Nicaragua canal

http://www.wnd.com/2014/05/russia-joins-china-in-building-nicaragua-canal/

WASHINGTON – As Russia continues to take strategic initiatives that put the United States on the defensive, Russian President Vladimir Putin is teaming up with China to help construct a trans-oceanic canal in Nicaragua that gives Moscow an even greater foothold in Washington's area of influence.

The prospect comes as Moscow not only intends more massive arms sales in Latin America but, as WND recently reported, moves to establish a base in Nicaragua besides using existing facilities for refueling for aircraft and port calls for Russian warships.

In addition to Nicaragua, Moscow also is looking to establish bases in Cuba and Venezuela.

The establishment of permanent Russian bases and a major Russian presence in the Western Hemisphere will challenge U.S. policies and threaten to diminish Washington's influence in the region.

And like a repeat of events leading up to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, it will give Moscow a basis to stage offensive weapons in the Western Hemisphere, placing another formidable challenge to U.S. homeland defenses from potential missile threats.

Moving into U.S. turf

Moscow's focus has been on areas contiguous to Russia, until now.

"The Russian Federation considers itself to be a global power that is active everywhere and that, whatever Russia's leadership might publicly claim, is challenging the United States anywhere that it can," said Stephen Blank of the Washington think-tank Jamestown Foundation.

"One such arena is Latin America," Blank said. "Even as the Ukrainian crisis rages, Moscow is steadily trying to increase its profile throughout the Western Hemisphere."

Moscow's Latin American focus for establishing a base will be Nicaragua. Last April, Russian legislators agreed to legislation to set up a satellite navigation monitoring system in that country.

It is supposed to set up a network of land-based control stations in Nicaragua to monitor and augment the accuracy of navigation satellites in Earth orbit.

However, analysts also believe the Nicaraguan facility is to become a substitute for the electronic tracking center at Lourdes, Cuba which Moscow gave up a decade ago.

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