Russians want to search for oil off Cuba

Using a Siberian firm called Halliburtonofski, chaired by a guy named Dickovitch Cheneyova.

Well, the US had a very long time to take up Cuba on the drilling, but decided to be ignorant with the useless embargo. I wonder if they'll mind Russia drilling right next door. Maybe bush will be able to see the Russian rigs from his house in Texas!

Real sad, like I have said time and again, we took our eyes off our back door and now the Russian`s are back playing in it!

Real sad thing that the Republicans have gotten us into. If the Republicans would have minded the store instead of trying to build a new one we would not of allowed this to happen.

Now we will have to contend with the Sovie..... opps what I meant to was, now we will have Russia playing tricks on our back steps because of Bush and the Republicans!

I can not wait to see them gone and a real President to take care of all these Republican messes! Sad sad sad!!

Well, if you insist on placing your 'anti-Iran' missile shield in former Soviet states right on the borders with Russia, then Russia is going to expect similar understandings in the Gulf of Mexico in return.

They had better build those platforms hurricane-proof, though, as there lies the real enemy.

Putin knows Obama is a push-over. Russia has been planning this move for years. Bush's term is basically finished so the Russians announce during the transition.

The interesting thing about projects like this is what the commentary (like that above) exposes. I am referring to the hypocrisy, the double standards and the true agendas of so-called green groups that would be protesting like the end of the world is at hand - if the exploitation of resources in the Gulf was being done by American companies.

Putin's Russia has an environmental record as dismal as that of the Soviets, which is not surprising, since he is cut from the same totalitarian cloth. But note the complete lack of concern that you see regarding this.

Cuba is rich in natural resources however that economy is backwater because of the trade embargo. I remember the 1962 cuba crisis. Embargo has been so long & 50 yrs has passed. I think they have rights to develope their economy.

Interesting point is China also has identical political system like Cuba. It has not been sanctioned economically by west for so long. Now it is better off. It is a double standard of sanction. If Cuba has been allowed for trade & investment opportunities sometimes ago, west are digging the oil now & Cubans are better off today.

My view of our politicians, dems and repubs are all for one thing,, greed and filling certian pockets with over flow of money with no concern to national securitym just as someone mentioned China and what we have been soing building a country stronger and stronger with us being the only ones in their sites as they have said,, They see us as their only future threat. What do we do??? Give them the ability to cancel that threat and they are a communist country we have built against our selves..

Totally rediculous!

Other countries drill off of Cuba. Russia will just be the next. It's just not that big of a deal.

Athletes: I think they have rights to develope their economy.

No one is stopping Cuba from developing their economy. The embargo is just from the US. Every other country in the world can trade with Cuba. The difference is that foreign companies choose not to whereas US companies are not allowed to. Honda could build a car plant in Cuba if they wanted to, but Cuba has such as ass-backwards system that non-American corporations around the world don't invest. And for that they have only themselves to blame.

The embargo should end because it's pointless at this point. It would be good for American companies to be able to invest in Cuba. And as a tourist spot Cuba would rake in the cash literally overnight. It will be one big party for years.

Sedan: "Putin knows Obama is a push-over. Russia has been planning this move for years. Bush's term is basically finished so the Russians announce during the transition."

As has been said on this thread already, the Americans had plenty of chances to reach out and connect but blew it simply out of ignorance and pride. Sure the Russians have been planning this for quite some time, and so what? What could bush and co. possibly have done about it if Putin announced they were going to do it during bush's term? That's a rhetorical question; there would have been a lot of bombastic language, but in the end the US could only watch and try some last minute deals with Cuba, but Russia would do what it wants anyway, with Putin again pointing out correctly how stupid GW is.

As for the environmental record, I agree with you there, and I think one of the reasons why people aren't putting up more of a fuss like they would with American companies is that they know the Russians won't give a damn, whereas the American companies might at least try to mollify said environmentalists before drilling.

What could bush and co. possibly have done about it if Putin announced they were going to do it during bush's term?

Evidently, Russia felt that Bush could have done something that would be to Russia’s disadvantage.

It is telling that the Russians announced these plans during the transition to the Obama administration. The Russians clearly perceive that they can get away with moves like this under an Obama administration and not under a Bush administration.

I think one of the reasons why people aren't putting up more of a fuss like they would with American companies is that they know the Russians won't give a damn, whereas the American companies might at least try to mollify said environmentalists before drilling.

This is the kind of logic that handcuffs the militaries of democratic countries and enables rouge nations to continue brutal tactics (why change if no one complains).

This logic also allows one side to agitate until the other side acts, which in turn leads to simmering conflicts that claim innocent lives for a prolonged period of time. Yes, criticizing one side and not the other for the same actions is only good for bloggers and weapons' dealers.