February 01, 2008
Poland OKs U.S. Missile Defense System
UPDATED.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski confirmed this afternoon "an agreement in principle" to host a U.S. missile defense shield, AP reports. He was in Washington today to discuss the matter with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
"We understand that there is a desire for defense modernization in Poland, and particularly for air defense modernization in Poland," Rice said at a joint press appearance following their meeting. "This is something that we support because it will make our ally, Poland, more capable, it will make Poland, as the foreign minister has said, more able to operate with us."
The offer to help Poland bolster its air force apparently helped secure the tentative deal. But there were more details to be ironed out, Sikorski said.
"We are not at the end of the road as regards negotiations. We are in the middle of the road," he said. "We have an agreement in principle."
The deal is sure to provoke strong reaction from Russia, which in May threatened to train its long-range weapons on Europe if Washington went ahead with plans to build a new anti-ballistic missile shield in that neighborhood.
The announcement comes one day after Sikorski said in an interview that his country was concerned about Russia's threats and would seek closer security ties with the United States as a result.
In another provocation of Moscow, Washington signed a five-year security pact with former satellite state Kazakhstan. As part of the agreement, the U.S. will help build up Kazakhstan's military so that it's up to par with NATO standards, Reuters reports.
The ostensible purpose of the new defense system, which also has a leg in the Czech Republic, is to defend America's European allies from the long-range missile threats posed by Iran. But the emerging strong-man status of Russia and China, which is rapidly pursuing a build-up of its military, is also part of the calculus.
In an editorial today, defense and intelligence publication Jane's urged the U.S., Poland and Czech Republic to begin work on the new weapons defense system as soon as possible.
"Deliberate vulnerability can lead to perceptions of weakness, inviting provocation or aggression from another nation or transnational actor, such as a rogue state or terrorist group," the editors wrote. "In a day when North Korea is a nuclear power and Iran is still very likely on the path to becoming one in the not too distant future, the chance that these weapons will be used against peaceful nations is a troubling possibility -- one that we must guard against."
The White House announced earlier this week that President Bush is hosting Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek on Feb. 27.
Despite the tensions, the U.S. and Russia are holding talks on economic cooperation in Washington this spring. "Given the increased investment and trade between our two countries, and Russia's growing importance in the world economy, the United States and Russia will establish a formal economic dialogue to discuss issues of mutual interest," the parties said in a joint statement released yesterday.
Posted at 4:10 PM
Posted to:
Bush Administration, Europe, Russia
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