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Poland and US Agree Deal for Missle Defence Shield

Thursday 14 August 2008

by: Harry de Quetteville  |  Visit article original @ The Telegraph UK

photo
Polish people demonstrate in the town of Redzikowo against plans to deploy a missile shield defense system. In the wake of the Russia/Georgia conflict, Poland and the US have quickly moved forward their deal to build a controversial missile defense shield. (Photo: Reuters)

    Poland and the US have signed a deal to build a controversial missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, the Polish prime minister said.

    The agreement highlights how Russia's invasion of Georgia has prompted a swift reappraisal of the region's security and alliances.

    The US and Poland have been talking about the missile shield for a year but rushed to cement their alliance in the wake of this week's conflict.

    Donald Tusk, the prime minister, said that talks had been completed on a preliminary agreement and "technical questions remained".

    Washington plans to site a silo of 10 interceptor missiles at the Brdy army base in northern Poland to accompany a radar installation in the Czech Republic. The radar station, probably to be sited at Gorsko, has already been agreed by Prague and is awaiting parliamentary ratification.

    "We feel at the moment a greater concern for our safety," said Bogdan Klich, the Polish defence minister, evoking fears of a resurgent Russia, widespread in the former Eastern Bloc. "That's why every installation of the Western world on the Polish territory has its meaning, because it anchors Poland more deeply to the West."

    While America says the shield is designed to destroy lone missiles from "rogue states" such as Iran, Russia considers it a strategic encirclement that undermines its nuclear deterrent. If fully agreed now, the system would be ready by around 2012.

    Mr Klich said that Poland and America were "really at the finish line of these talks", hinting that Washington was finally prepared to meet Polish security demands in return for housing the silo.

    Most significantly, Poland wants American-run Patriot missile batteries on its territory, in what it considers the best defence against potential Russian retaliation.

    "It seems that the Americans have changed their view due to the situation in the Caucasus," Mr Klich said yesterday. "In the eyes of Washington, this conflict has proved that Russia isn't a stable partner and continues to consider its international surroundings as its exclusive sphere of influence."

    Analysts suggest that the conflict in Georgia has sent shock waves through countries that once lay behind the Iron Curtain.

    "Appeasement is over," said Carina O'Reilly, the European Security Editor of Jane's Defence Weekly. "With Russian tanks rolling into Georgia, there's a feeling [among former Eastern Bloc states] that the tanks could roll over their borders too. There's a certain urgency now."

    Mr Tusk, once considered to be considerably more Russia-friendly than Jaroslaw Kaczynski, his Moscow-sceptic predecessor, is now making that urgency clear. "Our arguments about the need for a permanent presence of US troops and missiles on Polish soil have been taken seriously by the American side," he said.

    "The events in the Caucasus show clearly that such security guarantees are indispensable.

    "As soon as we are sure that Poland's security has been reinforced to the degree we want, we're not going to wait for hours to sign a deal."

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Comments

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One has to wonder if the US

 Fri, 08/15/2008 - 00:55 — Varda (not verified)
One has to wonder if the US did not purposely provoke the Russians in order to justify breaking the international anti ballistic missile treaty. This venture is costing us billions of OUR tax dollars! Our military is always looking for conflict and conflict always = big money for them at any cost. The entire world is at risk now and with these guys in charge loss of life means nothing. Their ambiton is all that matters. They should be arrested for such outrageous incompetency and irresponsibility. It seems anything is worth destroying to these madmen.

This is what Russia and what

 Fri, 08/15/2008 - 03:11 — Anonymous (not verified)
This is what Russia and what Putin have been screaming about for a few years now. They are convinced it will upset the balance of power that has been in existence for the last 50 years. But we don't care we have the media and they can spin anything our way. As for the incursion into Georgia, I wish someone would tell me why the South Ossetia refugees are all running into Russia and greeted Russian troops with open arms as there Calvary? As usual the American people are being duped again. Oh and BTW why does John McCain have a major advisor who has been a lobbyist for the Georgian government who fed at our political trough to the tune of about 2 mil bucks. What the hell is that all about and what might it have to do with Georgians original incursion into South Ossetia in the first place. Then this shield deal. This whole thing smells.

That's so sad that Poland

 Fri, 08/15/2008 - 05:27 — Anonymous (not verified)
That's so sad that Poland would agree to missile sites cloaked as "defensive" - and to trust the US politicians.

Myth #1 - Poland agrees to

 Fri, 08/15/2008 - 06:32 — Houston, Texas (not verified)
Myth #1 - Poland agrees to build the US missile shield on it's territory. Myth #2 - Russia did not invade Georgia. Myth #3 - Russia is not stable due to it's actions in Georgia. Myth #4 - It is believed that Russia will continue with it's tanks into other bordering countries. Myth #4 - The American people feel the need for a missile shield on polish soil. The Telegraph should be ashamed for printing such an article. The US backed polish government does not represent the wishes of the people in this country. Recent articles has shown us all how they protest this idea, yet the US backed corrupt government of poland continues despite the people's demands. Russia responded swiftly to protect the civilians of the Osseti people after what is called a genocide by the US backed Georgian government. Investigations by Russia, along with human rights groups are investigating this genocide. Thousands of civilians dead, as opposed to less than 70 found dead in Georgia. Russia had no choice but to act on the military invasion of it's territory of Osseti. Furthermore, after witnessing the US continuing to push to break the treaty of an arms race by putting a missile shield on Russia's border already breaks this treaty. Russia took a stand here as well. Russia only created peace in the region, it did not go any further inland. Georgia continued to push Russia after a caese fire agreement by sending Isreal made drones on the area. Furthermore Isreal is still putting military arms in Georia's hands despite the possibility of the situation to settle. Russia has not made any unsound moves here, of all the parties involved, Russia has used mature judgement without haste. There has been nothing seen that would indicate that Russia is an agressor here. The American people have little control of it's own corrupt government. Our public servants have decided to serve themselves and bussines friends, which includes the enormous growth of the military arms suppliers, and the oil corporations. The US people are not wanting to go into an arms race with Russia, but you would not know this due to the enabling media in our country which lies to the people in favor of corporations, any business ( to include consumer products which kill others in the name of democracy).

It's a set up . Now our

 Fri, 08/15/2008 - 11:49 — Anonymous (not verified)
It's a set up . Now our corrupt government can get what they want . The corporate media will go along and " we the people " will sit back , eat some geneticlly modified popcorn , drink some budweiser beer and fall asleep on the sofa because it is all going on " over there " to "them " and not to " us " We need to WAKE the" F" up and shout our outrage before it's too late people . We ALL live on this little planet together and we will ALL die together , that has been assured for 50 years .

The author of this article

 Fri, 08/15/2008 - 15:03 — bc (not verified)
The author of this article should have mentioned that the missile "shield" is actually offensive, not defensive (as with the Department of "Defense" in the U.S.). We have seen how a lot of "defending" has been going on in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, and other places. http://www.nenasili.cz/en/832_noam-chomsky Either way, it is part of a strategic encirclement (quoting the Telegraph.UK) that Russia should rightly be worried about, and may be forced to address, in one way or another.

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