What if the new strategic framework goes bad?

How Bush and Putin work out delicate strategic issues may determine if the new warmth in the U.S.Russian relationship is truly a sea change or merely a brief lull in ongoing tensions.

Events since the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington could fundamentally change the U.S.-Russian relationship. A sustained military and diplomatic campaign against terrorism will necessitate a broad international coalition and the close cooperation of nations bordering terrorist operational bases. Russian support and intelligence could prove vital to the success of allied air and ground operations against camps in Afghanistan. In return for such aid, Russia appears to expect that the …