Doug: The Ship is a more environmentally sensitive way to transport 17 tons. Global Warming, ya know.

Putting an intel ship in Russia’s “lake” is a major loss of face for Putin, and these strongmen live or die by their position in the pack of other assholes. Bush is saying the US is prepared to meet every Russian move with an array of pain for Russia, economic, military, and symbolic, and sustain the pain for as long as it takes. So the ball’s back in Putin’s court.