Russia, China looking to form 'NATO of the East'?

MOSCOW - Russia and China could take a step closer to forming a Eurasian military confederacy to rival NATO at a Moscow meeting of the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Wednesday, experts say.

The group, which started in 2001 with limited goals of promoting cooperation in former Soviet Central Asia, has evolved rapidly toward a regional security bloc and could soon induct new members such as India, Pakistan, and Iran.

One initiative that core members Russia and China agree on, experts say, is to squeeze US influence - which peaked after 9/11 - out of the SCO's neighborhood. "Four years ago, when the SCO was formed, official Washington pooh-poohed it and declared it was no cause for concern," says Ariel Cohen, senior researcher at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. "Now they're proven wrong."

Wednesday's meeting is expected to review security cooperation, including a spate of upcoming joint military exercises between SCO members' armed forces. It may also sign off on a new "Contact Group" for Afghanistan. That would help Russia and China - both concerned about increased opium flows and the rise of Islamism - develop direct relations between SCO and the Afghan government. While this will be highly controversial given the presence of NATO troops and Afghans' bitter memories of fighting Russian occupation throughout the 1980s, the Russians have an "in" because they still have longstanding allies in the country.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20051026/ts_csm/oalliance_1

They expect to induct new members such as India, Pakistan, and Iran? Hindu's and Moslums under the same format....won't happen!!!

They expect to induct Pakistan and Iran with part of their format being the "rise of Islamism". Yah right! :thumbsup:

maybe they can blow each other up, Make it easier for us

hindus...muslims...communist...sounds likes target practice

hahahaha,no shit.

yup keep laughing guys...america's isolationism policy will work wonders when facing off against the entire world.

you keep laughing at canadians, mocking how we saved your asses in ww2, but it looks like we'll be your last friend in the world in a few years.