# Post-Soviet rapid reaction force - neo-colonialism all over again?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-soviet-rapid-reaction-force-neo-colonialism-all-over-again/484525>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 5, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-soviet-rapid-reaction-force-neo-colonialism-all-over-again/484525 "2009-02-05T03:52:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Camus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Camus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Camus)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-soviet-rapid-reaction-force-neo-colonialism-all-over-again/484525/1 "2009-02-05T03:52:16Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> [From CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/04/russia.collective.military/index.html):
> 
> A Russian-led bloc of post-Soviet nations has agreed to establish a rapid-reaction military force to combat terrorists and respond to regional emergencies, Russian media reported Wednesday.
> 
> …
> 
> Russian media reported that the force will be used to fight military aggressors, conduct anti-terror operations, battle regional drug trafficking and respond to natural disasters. The force will be based in Russia under a single command, with member nations contributing military units.

A joint military force, consisting of units from member nations, but operating under a single command and based in Russia? Is such a force all but giving Russia the power to overtly (as opposed to behind the scenes) control these countries? As interesting as it is the countries that are on the list, what does it mean for the nearby former Soviet countries not on the list - Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan?

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**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-soviet-rapid-reaction-force-neo-colonialism-all-over-again/484525/2 "2009-02-05T08:17:31Z")

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> [@Camus](#):
>
> A joint military force, consisting of units from member nations, but operating under a single command and based in Russia? Is such a force all but giving Russia the power to overtly (as opposed to behind the scenes) control these countries? As interesting as it is the countries that are on the list, what does it mean for the nearby former Soviet countries not on the list - Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan?

So the commies want to set up a slavcom, I dont really see the big deal. Basically put , they can set up a brigade force and staff it with people who dont speak a common language, and have varying degrees of training. Just so they can march into Georgia again and not be seen as an imperialist russian agressor.

They had this before, it was called the warsaw pact.

Declan