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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Russia Responds to U.S. Offer on Missile Defense
November 23, 2007 :: News
Recent American proposals have been sent to Russia concerning the Poland and Czech Republic missile defense sites. The American proposals included a "delay[ed] activation of the missile defence system until Washington and Moscow were in agreement on 'definitive proof' of missile threats from Iran or elsewhere...[and] a plan to station Russian liaison officers at proposed US missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, as long as the host countries agreed to this."
Itar Tass reports that Russia is however dissatisfied with these U.S. proposals. An unnamed Foreign Ministry source is quoted as saying, "They have sent concrete proposals. We are continuing to study them, but our first impression is that they do not meet our expectations. This is not what was promised orally [in recent talks with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates]." The comments contrast sharply with Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments from November 22, in which he said, "our concerns are being listened to." Russia opposes the current U.S. plan to base ten Ground Based Interceptors in Poland and an X-band radar in the Czech Republic. Moscow believes the missile defense system is meant to diminish its nuclear strategic deterrent and not, as the U.S. claims, to defend against possible missile attacks from the Middle East. (Article, Link)
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Franks: Missile Defense Should Be Top Priority
November 12, 2007 :: Defense News :: Analysis
Writing for The Hill, Congressman Trent Franks responds to the recent change of heart on the need to build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe by Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, chair of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee. Previously, in Washington and on a congressional trip to the Czech Republic, Tauscher had supported the missile defense system in Europe to defend against a limited missile attack from Iran. "The U.S. intelligence community's current estimate is that Iran is five to 10 years away from developing such a capability...plainly, this is a very serious threat about which we must be vigilant... A GMD system deployed in Europe could help deter a potential Iranian long-range ballistic missile threat if one emerges."
While the Strategic Forces subcommittee did cut some of the funds directed to the site, Tauscher was careful to note, "We did not say no. What we said is we have fiscal priorities...We encourage the talks to continue...we are dealing on a margin of weeks and months. Not years." She stated that once Poland and the Czech Republic ratified the agreement, the two countries could expect a receptive and cooperative Congress.
Franks was "disturbed," however, by Tauscher's subsequent and abrupt change on the issue. Writing in the November 8 edition of Defense News, Tauscher called on the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to "work harder at protecting deployed U.S. troops against current missile threats with proven technology and ‘pull-back' from science projects such as the European missile defense site."
From this Franks concludes:
I look forward to seeing the final marks for the defense authorization bill, and in particular, the language associated with the European Site. There is so much at stake here. As I have said before, missile defense is not only our last line of defense for an incoming ballistic missile, it is also our first line of defense to counter missile proliferation because it devalues these weapons as offensive military assets, which may ultimately keep nuclear technology in general out of the hands of terrorist-friendly nations. It is my hope Ms. Tauscher both substantiates her claims to support this critical defense initiative, and helps to lead our colleagues during conference to support our allies in Poland and the Czech Republic.
(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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Lawmakers Cut Missile Defense Funds
November 6, 2007 :: AP :: News
On November 6, U.S. appropriators meeting from the House and Senate made a number of changes to the missile defense budget, for a total reduction of some $185 million dollars. The Air-Borne Laser was cut by $35 million, and the entire plan for studies for a space test bed was completely zeroed-out. The changes also included cutting $85 million requested by President Bush to build a facility to house ten Ground Based Interceptors in Poland, however the money designated for the X-band radar facility in the Czech Republic and the ten interceptors themselves was left intact. The bill still must be approved by both bodies of Congress, and Democrats have indicated they might restore the money should Poland's government agree to house the missiles and if the entire system undergoes extensive testing.
Summary of funding reductions and changes:
- Reduces funding for the European Site program by $85 million.
- Reduces funding for Airborne Laser (ABL) by $35 million.
- Zeroes out the Conceptual Studies of a Space Test Bed (STB).
- Reduces overall Missile Defense budget by $185 million.
- Fully funds Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
- Provides an additional $80 million for test and training range upgrades and supportand ground-based missile defense enhancements.
- Provides an additional $75 million for the Aegis program for the Ballistic Signal Processor, Standard Missiles, Ship installations and upgrades, and an asymmetric defense initiative.
- Adds $75 million for Arrow co-production, the Upper-tier program, and Short Range Ballistic Missile Defense. (Israeli programs)
- Provides an additional $120 million for the Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI) program.
(Article, Link)
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President Bush Speech on Missile Defense at National Defense University
October 23, 2007 :: The White House :: News
On October 23, President George Bush visited the National Defense University. His speech covered both the war on terror and ballistic missile defense. The president highlighted his administration's successes in deploying a missile defense system.
The first step we took was to withdraw from the ABM Treaty...The second step we took was to make missile defense operational, while continuing our research and development efforts. Instead of spending decades trying to develop a perfect shield, we decided to begin deploying missile defense capabilities as soon as the technology was proven ready -- and then build on that foundation by adding new capabilities as they matured... The third step we took was to reach out to the world and involve other nations in the missile defense effort. Since 2001, we've worked closely with countries such as Israel, and Italy, and Germany, and Japan, and the Netherlands, and Britain, and others on missile defense... As a result of this collaboration, missile defense has gone from an American innovation to a truly international effort to help defend free nations against the true threats of the 21st century.
He also praised the new systems by citing their performance during North Korea's missile tests in July, 2006 when Pyongyang tested missiles the intelligence community believes are capable of reaching the United States, noting that:
Had these tests taken place just a few years earlier, they would have underscored America's vulnerability to a ballistic missile attack. Instead, because of the decisions we took in 2001, and because of the hard work of people in this room, our military had in place a capability to track the North Korean vehicle and engage it if it threatened our country. So the test North Korea intended to showcase its power became a demonstration that the pursuit of ballistic missiles will ultimately be fruitless— because America and our allies are building and deploying the means to defend against this threat.
President Bush continued by stressing that the next task is to defend Europe and the U.S. from a missile attack from the greater Middle East. "Our intelligence community assesses that, with continued foreign assistance, Iran could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States and all of Europe before 2015. If it chooses to do so, and the international community does not take steps to prevent it, it is possible Iran could have this capability. And we need to take it seriously." The President has proposed that the U.S. deploy ten missile interceptors in Poland and an X-Band radar facility in the Czech Republic to provide a limited defense from a small scale missile attack from Iran. He also voiced support for involving other defenses in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece to protect the vulnerable parts of Europe from a shorter range missile attack. President Bush unequivocally repeated that the missile defense planned for Europe is not intended to diminish Russia's strategic nuclear deterrent. On the contrary, the U.S. wishes to engage and cooperate with Russia in deploying and maintaining a strong missile defense system.
The President concluded by articulating the clear strategic benefit of deploying a missile defense system.
A terrorist regime that can strike America or our allies with a ballistic missile is likely to see this power as giving them free rein for acts of aggression and intimidation in their own neighborhoods. But with missile defenses in place, the calculus of deterrence changes in our favor. If this same terrorist regime does not have confidence their missile attack would be successful, it is less likely to engage in acts of aggression in the first place. We would also have more options for dealing with their aggression if deterrence fails...Missile defense also strengthens our counter-proliferation efforts...By deploying effective defenses, we reduce incentives to build ballistic missiles--because rogue regimes are less likely to invest in weapons that cannot threaten free nations...Missile defense also helps us dissuade nations from developing nuclear weapons. Through our missile defense partnerships with nations in Asia and Europe and the Middle East, we can help friends and allies defend against missile attack. These defenses will build their confidence. And these defenses will make it less likely that they will feel the need to respond to the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea by developing nuclear weapons of their own.
Full text of the NDU remarks: (More »»»)
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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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Obering on European Missile Defense
October 8, 2007 :: Arms Control Today :: Analysis
Lieutenant General Henry Obering, head of the Missile Defense Agency, discussed the importance of deploying a comprehensive missile defense system in the October edition of Arms Control Today. Obering argues that the U.S. must field a comprehensive missile defense system to prepare against potential long-range missile attacks from rogue states such as North Korea and Iran, but also to change their calculations for acquiring offensive missiles, making those expenditures less attractive.
With ballistic missiles and missile technologies widely available on the global market, we expect an acceleration of ballistic missile and nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons proliferation... A major factor in this proliferation is the value countries place on these weapons, precisely because historically there has been no defense against them. Without a defense against these weapons, they will continue to be valuable as a means to coerce or intimidate the United States and our allies and friends around the world.
With a fully operational missile defense system in place, countries could not depend on using weapons of mass destruction or missile technology to threaten or blackmail the U.S. Additionally, the fact that countries are utilizing increasingly better protections of their missile stockpiles and launch sites, such as air defenses and underground installations, offensive or preemptive strikes against become less likely to succeed.
Obering stresses that an important component of a future defenses involve a current plan by the U.S. to house ten ground based interceptors in Poland and an X-band radar facility in the Czech Republic. A missile defense system in Europe, however limited, would protect the U.S. and all European countries from long-range missile attacks. Other supplements could be added to this structure to defend more susceptible parts of Europe from short-range missile attacks from Iran. The missile defense plan for Europe not only would protect the U.S. and its European allies, but would not diminish Russia's strategic nuclear deterrent, as "10 ground-based interceptors, would be no match for Russia's strategic offensive missile force, which consists of hundreds of missiles and thousands of warheads." (Article, Link)
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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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