Thetown formerly known as Skrunda-1 housed about5, 000 peopleduring the Cold War but was abandonedoveradecadeagoafter the Russian militarywithdrew fromLatvia followingthe Soviet collapse.
If implemented, the Russian arms sale proposal would actually provide an important new rationale and financial underpinning for the old Soviet military-industrial complex -- an organization that it is in the interest of both the Russianpeople and our own to see dramatically reduced in scope and productive capacity.