Russian Envoy Threatens Poland on Defense Cooperation with U.S. by Invoking WWII Plight
February 4, 2008 :: News
Moscow's envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, has warned Poland against accepting the basing of American missile defense interceptors. Rogozin threatened possible retaliation, and invoked memories of its World War II plight at the hands of its Soviet conquerers and oppressors. Rogozin is quoted by the Russian Interfax news agency as follows:
The Polish colleagues must be reminded of their recent history, which indicates that attempts to place Poland "on the confrontation line" have always led to tragedies. That way Poland lost nearly one third of its citizens during World War II....I was sure this horrible lesson would not be wasted and Poland would plan its foreign policy relying on friendly relations all along the borderline.
Poland and the U.S. have reportedly agreed "in principle" to the plan to emplace ten Ground Based Interceptors in Poland after assuring Warsaw that the United States would also help develop Poland's short and medium range air and missile defenses. The two sides did not elaborate on the terms of the tentative agreement, and it remained unclear whether the United States had made specific promises to provide air defense systems such as the Patriot. (Article, Link)
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South Korea Considers Supporting U.S. Missile Shield
January 28, 2008 :: Defense News :: News
In an apparent reversal of a long-standing policy, the new South Korean president Lee Myung-bak has voiced a strong desire to participate in the U.S. global missile defense initiatives. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has recommended the country provide missile launch sites for the U.S. military and buy Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) systems and Standard Missile ship-to-air interceptors to increase interoperability with the U.S. ballistic missile defense network. A senior official within the South Korean JCS said, "The bottom line is that we will go in a direction toward developing our low-altitude intercept shield into an extended missile defense system." Last year, South Korea launched its first of three planned 7,600-ton KDX-III destroyers, the Sejong the Great, equipped with the Aegis combat system and anti-air, land-attack and anti-submarine missiles. Two more ships will be commissioned in 2010 and 2012. However, policy makers warn that such active participation by South Korea may provoke a backlash from regional powers such as China, Russia and North Korea.
(Article, Link)
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Lithuanian Foreign Minister Expresses Support for European Defenses
January 27, 2008 :: Xinhua :: News
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekunas announced his country's support of the United States' plan to station missile defense systems in Eastern Europe. The announcement came while the Foreign Minister was meeting with the Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg on January 25. Vaitekunas said Lithuania would support incorporating the system with NATO defense. Russia strongly opposes the U.S.'s plan, believing it is intended to blunt Moscow's influence in the region. As a former republic of the Soviet Union, Lithuania's expression of support for the American-sponsored defenses is likely to irritate their Russian former masters. (Article, Link)
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Slovakian Prime Minister Criticizes U.S. Missile Defense Talks with Neighbors
January 22, 2008 :: News
Slovakian Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has criticized the U.S.'s plan to station a ballistic missile defense system in the neighboring countries of Poland and the Czech Republic, while addressing the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly at a meeting in in Strasbourg. The Prime Minister said any plan to place a ballistic missile system in Europe should be conducted within NATO and the European Union, not bilaterally, and rejected the idea that bilateral talks between the United States and neighboring countries were none of Slovakia's business. (Article, Link)
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Poll: Czech Support for Radar Support Would Grow with Security Guarantees
November 8, 2007 :: News
A Factum Invenio poll of 1018 Czech adults revealed that although 70 percent of Czechs remain opposed to stationing a U.S. X-band radar in the country, 55 percent would support to the plan if the Czech Republic received increased security guarantees and that the system would not have a negative impact on the environment and on people's health. Some 49 percent said they would support the plan if it did not infringe on the Czech Republic's sovereignty and 48 percent said they would support the plan provided the municipalities surrounding the facility received financial compensation. Another 43 percent of respondents said they would support the radar station if it were included in NATO's system. (Article, Link)
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Poland's Tusk Open to Missile Defenses
November 6, 2007 :: News
Poland's Prime Minister-designate Donald Tusk expressed his receptiveness to a current U.S. plan to house ten Ground Based Interceptors in Poland. Tusk stressed that while Poland would "very consistently continue the Polish strategy of close ties with the United States," he would also consult fellow EU and NATO states to a greater degree than the previous government. The Prime Minster-designate's statements followed a meeting with President Lech Kaczynski where the two discussed the new coalition government and Poland's foreign policy. ""I am perhaps more skeptical, and the president a more declared supporter of missile defense, but I am almost certain that we will reach a common position on the issue." (Article, Link)
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Economist: Missile Defense in Europe
October 18, 2007 :: The Economist :: Analysis
The Economist published an analysis the U.S. plan to deploy ten Ground Based Interceptors in Poland and an X-band radar facility in the Czech Republic. While Poland and the Czech Republic are historically more pro-American than other European countries, the United States has faced difficulty in winning public support for the plan. Instead of offering sweeteners to Poland to accept a deal that angers neighboring Russia, "the diplomatic notes requesting the bases even came with prepared replies attached." The highhanded tone was also used in the Czech Republic, were possible public health risks associated with the radar were not directly addressed. The Economist concludes that:
Better diplomacy could ease worries in Poland and the Czech Republic. But two questions remain. One is whether missile defences, hugely profitable to contractors, will work in reality. The other is why Russia is making such a fuss. Both geography and arithmetic support the American argument that the system is meant to counter a handful of missiles that might one day be fired from Iran, rather than the Kremlin's colossal nuclear arsenal, which can be launched from land, sea and air.
(Article, Link)
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Kuwait to Purchase Patriot Interceptors
October 15, 2007 :: News
Kuwait is planning to purchase a number of defensive Patriot interceptors from the United States, according to a statement made by Kuwaiti Defense Minister Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah, as reported by the state news agency KUNA on October 10. Sheikh Jaber said that "Kuwait has signed deals, not for airplanes, but for materiel such as ships and Patriot missiles." He did not mention the number or type of Patriots which are to be purchased. In July, the U.S. announced plans for a series of arms deals worth at least $20 billion with Saudi Arabia and five other oil-rich Gulf states. (Article, Link)
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First PAC-3 Missiles Delivered to the Netherlands
October 9, 2007 :: News
Lockheed Martin delivered the first Patriot (PAC-3) defensive interceptors to government and military representatives of The Netherlands. The Netherlands was the first international customer to buy the PAC-3 interceptor in 2005. "Today, The Netherlands is proud to be the first international launch customer for the PAC-3 Missile, just as it is proud to have been an international launch customer of the Patriot weapon system," said Major General Alexander Besselink, Director of Weapon Systems and Agencies for The Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation. "With the introduction of full PAC-3 capabilities, the Netherlands is prepared for the future and, together with the United States, continues to be at the forefront of air defense." Currently, Germany, Japan, Israel, Kuwait, Taiwan, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Spain have deployed Patriot missiles. (Article, Link)
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» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)
Poland Firm on Support for Missile Defense
September 12, 2007 :: Kommersant :: News
U.S. and Polish diplomats believe that a final agreement concerning the placement of Ground Based Interceptors in Poland will be finalized by the end of the year. The questions remaining to be answered are the future base's territorial status, and who will pay for construction of the facilities. On September 8, Kommersant quoted Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Robert Shanyavski as saying that, "The timeframe is by no means the most important issue. Our strategic goal is an alliance with the United States, so we can afford not to hurry." U.S. Congressman Trent Franks was also cited, as saying that missile defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic will go ahead, even if a Democrat becomes president in 2008. (Article, Link)
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