Raketenabwehrschilde

[revan]

Mal die Reaktionen aus Senat und Kongress:

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Obama critics denounce missile defense shift

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's Republican foes on Thursday denounced his move to cut back missile defense shield plans in Europe, charging he underestimated the threat of Iran and undercut US allies.

Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the decision to back off plans to deploy key parts of the system in Poland and the Czech Republic "both shortsighted and harmful to our long-term security interests."

"We must not turn our backs on two loyal allies in the war on terror," McConnell said shortly after Obama formally announced he was abandoning the planned shield and replacing it with a revamped defense after reassessing the threat from Iran.

The number-two Republican in the Senate, Jon Kyl, said the decision was "dangerous and short-sighted" and sent a chilling message to the former Soviet satellites after they braved Moscow's anger to host the system.

"This will be a bitter disappointment, indeed, even a warning to the people of Eastern Europe," said Kyl, who underlined that Poland and the Czech Republic had sent troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The president's Democratic top ally in the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, enthusiastically embraced the new posture, telling reporters: "I think this is brilliant."

Pelosi said Obama had correctly assessed the threat posed by Iran, the role of technological innovation on the project, and the likely impact on Washington's ties with NATO and with Moscow.

While some Democrats were expected to express concerns, Pelosi's support made it highly unlikely that the Congress would use its power over the government's purse strings to try to block or delay the plan.

Republicans, in the minority in both chambers, charged that Obama seemed to be offering a concession to Moscow -- which fiercely opposed the missile shield -- without getting anything tangible in return on Iran.

"The Administration has secured no apparent commitment from the Russians to work with us to reduce either the missile or nuclear threat from Iran," said McConnell.

"Scrapping the US missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic does little more than empower Russia and Iran at the expense of our allies in Europe," warned House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner.

"The administration's misguided action will cause our eastern European allies to question our commitment to their people and security, while heightening concerns in Israel," said the number-two House Republican, Eric Cantor, who vowed to try to "overturn this wrong-headed policy.".....

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Obama Capitulates to Russia on Missile Defense


Russian leaders never liked the idea that the United States, Poland and the Czech Republic were cooperating on missile defense to confront an emerging Iranian threat. The notion that two former Warsaw Pact states that Moscow used to control would be hosting 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a corresponding radar facility in the Czech Republic was unacceptable. Kremlin leaders alleged that the system was meant to target Russia, not counter Iran, and they had threatened to scuttle unrelated arms control negotiations with the United States unless Washington backed down.

With the Obama administration's announcement Thursday that it is indeed abandoning the Polish and Czech sites, Moscow's complaining appears to have worked. Yet the administration's capitulation to Russian pressure is a serious betrayal of loyal allies in Warsaw and Prague whose governments pursued politically unpopular positions at the request of the Bush administration to help confront a rising threat from Iran. (Announcing this policy change Thursday, on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland, added unnecessary insult to injury.)

During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama showed little enthusiasm for the missile defense plans of President Bush. After his election, however, Obama appeared to take a firmer position, and closer to his predecessor's thinking. "Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran's neighbors and our allies," he said in Prague on April 5. "The Czech Republic and Poland have been courageous in agreeing to host a defense against these missiles. As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-effective and proven. If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and the driving force for missile defense construction in Europe will be removed." ....

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US reassuring allies on missile defense shift


The United States is reassuring Poland and the Czech Republic that the shift in its missile defense plans will not leave them exposed to Russian aggression.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that both allies have the opportunity to play a part in the new plans. He says the plans will make Europe more secure.

In a news conference Thursday, Gates said the United States wants short and medium range anti-missile systems in Europe instead of the long-range system previously envisioned.

If Poland agreed, the United States would deploy interceptors there by 2015. Gates said: "We still want to partner with Poland."

He added: "There are all of the same opportunities for partnership between the United States and Poland that existed under the previous program."

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Is Poland A Second-Class NATO Ally?


The U.S. decision to shelve the missile shield plan for Central Europe has revived Polish insecurities about its geostrategic position and the ability to protect its territory by NATO.

“The U.S. side should be aware that by beginning negotiations with Central European countries they revealed the unequal security status of the region compared to Western Europe,” Witold Waszczykowski, former chief negotiators of the missile shield project, told Dow Jones Newswires in Warsaw today.

After 10 years as a NATO member, Poland still has no major elements of NATO’s security infrastructure. Waszczykowski believes the U.S. decision on the missile shield seems to confirm that this is how America, and Russia as well, sees Poland’s status.

“Russia’s triumphalism confirms that they will try to go ahead with their so-called justified security interests in this region,” he added.

Fortunately, this is not 1939 anymore and Waszczykowski himself admits Poland does not face any immediate threats. But after more than 70 years it’s back to the pre-World War II debate – can western allies defend Poland in danger or will they sacrifice it when the moment comes?