For more than half a century after World War II the two superpowers - America and the Soviet Union - piled up nuclear arsenals and threatened to annihilate each other. Two basic factors prevented them from going to war. One was the doctrine known as MAD - Mutually Assured Destruction.

A nuclear war would result in not only both superpowers disappearing from Earth but Earth itself. In order to avoid such a situation the second vital factor was respect for what was termed the spheres of influence. The Soviet Union has the communist Eastern European countries as their backyard and America had South America and the Caribbean as theirs. Despite occasional hiccups, military conflicts and certainly nuclear war were avoided but the war of words referred to as the Cold War raged on.

The collapse of the Soviet Union ended the Cold War. America for sometime had a free run in most parts of the globe and it commenced wooing the former breakaway republics of the Soviet Union such as Georgia, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian republics rich in oil and gas reserves as well as those countries through which pipelines carrying these sources of energy had to pass through.

Georgia and Uzbekistan now want to join NATO considered as a hostile organisation by Russia. Russia is once again a rich and powerful nation and wants to assert itself and keep under its influence those countries which were controlled by the Soviet Union. This situation has resulted once again in a torrent of words coming out from the opposing countries and speculation whether another Cold War is to begin.

Invasion of Georgia

The invasion of Georgia by Russian forces and the signing of an agreement for establishing an anti missile shield in Poland by America, the components of which are to be located in Poland and the Czech Republic have resulted in very strong rhetoric emanating from Moscow while America is trying to play down escalating tensions with Russia.

While US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed speculation of the possible resumption of a Cold War between Russia and the US, after she signed a missile defence shield agreement with Poland last week, the rhetoric coming out of Moscow was much more defiant alleging that this new missile system could undermine Russia's nuclear capability and endanger the country's national security.

Rice said that Russia's reaction to the US-Polish missile agreement 'bordered on the bizarre' and that Washington did not want a confrontation with Moscow. She hoped that there were no people in Russia hankering for the days of the Cold War. The Cold War is over, Rice declared.

She agreed with the comment of NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop that it was 'pathetic rhetoric' from Moscow, referring to the comments of Deputy Head of  Russia's General Staff, Anatoly Nogovitsyn that Poland made itself a 100 per cent target by participating in the US missile defence system.

However, Russia saw the signing of this missile agreement - which they have long opposed - while the Georgian crisis is on as being directed against it and that 'it was no accident.'

Rice maintained that NATO had acted to counter Russia's efforts through Georgia to establish a new sphere of influence in Eastern Europe similar to that of Eastern Europe during the Cold War.

A cogent argument made by Moscow was that whereas the US made it out that the missile shield was against possible threats to Europe from 'Rogue States' like Iran it would have been more logical had they deployed US Missile defence shield elements on NATO's southern flanks -Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. The focus of the missile shield in Poland was Russia; it undermined its nuclear deterrent and endangered its national security Russia maintained.

Europeans received a 'dead cat from Americans since its effectiveness could only be verified as a result of reciprocal thermo nuclear strikes,' Dmitry Rogazain, the Russian Ambassador to NATO argued.

Complete shield

This missile defence system which would complete the shield already in place in the United States, Greenland and Britain would be operative in 2010. The US plans to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland in addition to a radar facility in the neighbouring Czech Republic. Whatever assurances that the US and other NATO nations give Russia that the missile shield is not focused them, the Russians are not convinced. A Russian Foreign Ministry website communication pointed out that this system would promote an arms race instead of providing security for Europe.

Security deployment of a third site in Europe with genuine anti Russia potential by no means would enhance security on the European continent. Such measures provoke mistrust and would promote an arms race on the continent and beyond, the statement said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said last week that Russia would be forced to 'respond adequately' while a Foreign Ministry statement said that Moscow would react to this missile agreement 'not only through diplomatic channels.'

Whether it be called a Cold War or an exchange of harsh rhetoric by invading Georgia, Russia signalled that it would not stand by as the US and its European allies infringed on the former sphere of influence of the Soviet Union as they did in the Balkans and by recognising the breakaway province of Kosovo. Russia also demonstrated the impotence of the United States and its European allies to militarily intervene against Russia. The signal was also sent to Georgia and Uzbekistan on the dangers of being too cosy with NATO. The question now is whether these two countries which were invited by NATO to join the alliance will do so now.