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Europe
Poland threatens to hold out over US missile defence shield
2008-05-28
President George Bush's hopes of sealing agreement to site parts of the Pentagon's missile shield in central Europe before he leaves office are fading fast, according to senior Polish officials who are reluctant to reach a deal with the United States before the end of the year.

The US has been negotiating with the Polish and Czech governments for the past five years over deploying missile interceptors in Poland and a radar-tracking station in the Czech Republic - the first elements of the American missile defence programme that would be stationed outside the US.

But while the Americans and the Czechs recently concluded their negotiations, the Polish government has balked at the US terms on offer, insisting on large-scale military aid from the US to modernise its armed forces in return for agreeing to host the silos for 10 interceptor rockets. "Bush promised us a package, but the US is not delivering," said a senior Polish official. "Bush is a lame duck and the Pentagon is now sabotaging him. Why should we do any favours for Bush?"

He indicated that Warsaw had decided to wait until a new US administration is installed in January in the hope that a change of leadership would produce a better deal for the Poles.
Oh sure, President Obama is clearly down with ballistic missile defense. And President McCain is very forgiving of people who double-cross us. You go ahead and wait ...
The missile shield installations in central Europe are ostensibly aimed at intercepting potential ballistic missile attacks from Iran, although Russia contests this argument and insists that the Polish and Czech deployments are ultimately aimed at the Kremlin's nuclear arsenal.

Poland is keen to host the interceptor rockets since it believes that having American troops and military sites on its territory reinforces its security against its traditional enemy, Russia. But unless it markedly improves its defences, the Polish government also believes hosting the shield will diminish, rather than enhance, national security in the face of a strengthening Russia.
They sure don't act like a country that wants us in and is afraid of the big, bad Rooskies ...
On Monday in Brussels, the Polish defence minister, Bogdan Klich, said Warsaw needed the kind of military aid from the US that Washington supplies to Pakistan or Egypt, indicating that the cost to America could run to billions.
Umm, no thanks ...
The Bush administration, meanwhile, could yet turn its back on Poland and shift to deploying the interceptor rockets either at sea or in Britain, say senior Nato officials in Brussels.
Or we could just say 'screw it' and keep the missiles on our side of the world. No shortage of threats to us, ya know. Good luck with those negotiations with the Iranians ...
Posted by:Steve White

#8  Wouldn't you wait until after US elections.

Republicans are going to get drubbed in the Congress and there's a good chance that Obama will get elected.

Why piss off the Russians when the Democrats are going to hang you out to dry 6 months down the road?
Posted by: DK70 the Scantily Clad7177   2008-05-28 15:45  

#7  Wouldn't it be more effective to just preemptively bomb the crap out of Iran?
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2008-05-28 15:05  

#6  They want a good deal now, and they want it in irrevocable terms, so Obama and the Dems can't welsh on the deal when they cancel all BMD efforts in order to pay kickback to teachers unions increase spending on education.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-05-28 09:35  

#5  I think the terms in this article are overblown. However, the Poles are very nervous about having an Obama in office and no modern arms. Russia invaded them twice last century and they are hedging their bets against it happening again.
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-05-28 07:43  

#4  On a separate note, FYI WAFF.com Poster > argues that IRANIANS may be the ancestors of modern Poles???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-05-28 03:00  

#3  This is a Guardian article, you know, the newspaper that is slightly to the left of the World Workers Daily. Notice that there is no NAMED senior Polish official - in the Guardian that means that no one senior would talk to them, so they made it up.
Posted by: Shieldwolf   2008-05-28 02:49  

#2  what Paul said.. >:)
Posted by: RD   2008-05-28 01:55  

#1  The interceptors over there would have a better chance of stopping the missiles from the MMs in the boost phase, if I am correct.

So this deal with Poland is more about how much they can shake us down. We want to help them modernize, but not get taken to the cleaners. If the Poles want to act like a bunch of Arab merchants, then they can find another sugar daddy someplace else, IMHO.

You cannot buy friends. Case in point, Egypt.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2008-05-28 01:36  

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