NYT: U.S. Is Proposing European Shield for Iran Missiles

[DeepModem Mom]

U.S. Is Proposing European Shield for Iran Missiles
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
Published: May 22, 2006

WASHINGTON, May 21 — The Bush administration is moving to establish a new antimissile site in Europe that would be designed to stop attacks by Iran against the United States and its European allies.

The administration's proposal, which comes amid rising concerns about Iran's suspected program to develop nuclear weapons, calls for installing 10 antimissile interceptors at a European site by 2011. Poland and the Czech Republic are among the nations under consideration.

A recommendation on a European site is expected to be made this summer to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. Pentagon officials say. The Pentagon has asked Congress for $56 million to begin initial work on the long-envisioned antimissile site, a request that has run into some opposition in Congress. The final cost, including the interceptors themselves, is estimated at $1.6 billion.

The establishment of an antimissile base in Eastern Europe would have enormous political implications. The deployment of interceptors in Poland, for example, would create the first permanent American military presence on that nation's soil and further solidify the close ties between the defense establishments of the two nations .

While the plan has been described in Congressional testimony and in published reports, it has received relatively little attention in the United States. But it is a subject of lively discussion in Poland and has also prompted Russian charges that Washington's hidden agenda is to expand the American presence in the former Warsaw Pact nation....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/22/world/middleeast/22missiles.html

[Demeter]

1. Remember the Elephant Joke?

Man is standing on the USA street flapping his arms madly.

"What are you doing, sir?" a policeman asks.

"Scaring away the wild elephants," he replies.

"There aren't any wild elephants," retorted the policeman, as he put on the cuffs.

"See, it's working!" the crazy man replied.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. And this is very costly flapping! nt

[Skink]

3. No star wars eh?

[Placebo]

4. What a bunch of bollocks.

The only way Iran is launching missiles at the US (and I don't think they even have missles that could reach us) is if we attack them first.

So, in essence, we're going to spend money we don't have, to build a missile shield that's only going to be needed if we launch an attack, that we can't afford, financially or militarily.

Freedom is on the march.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Poland, that bastion of freedom and democracy!

A rightwing Polish government that has banned abortions and birth control and whose President calls LGBTs a bunch of perverts.

[President Kerry]

6. what a delusional fuck..

Good luck getting EU's ok on this, you fool.

[HuffleClaw]

7. what a BLATANT attempt to PROFIT from their own damned

fear-mongering. 'hey, we'll sell you guys some reallllly expensive super duper anti-missile missiles!' (that don't work btw, but we'll pretend they do). what a joke.

[Theduckno2]

8. Absolutely goofy!

With all the real problems the EU has to deal with; flooding on the Danube, bird flu and global warming to name a few.

I sure hope that the EU is tired of the "Terra, Terra, Terra" tune played by the neocon bar band "PNAC". :crazy:

edit:spelling

[IChing]

9. Funny the sheild countries are close to the Russian border

I didn't see Greece mention or Italy.

[Judi Lynn]

10. U.S. Is Proposing European Shield for Iran Missiles

U.S. Is Proposing European Shield for Iran Missiles
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
Published: May 22, 2006

WASHINGTON, May 21 — The Bush administration is moving to establish a new antimissile site in Europe that would be designed to stop attacks by Iran against the United States and its European allies.

The administration's proposal, which comes amid rising concerns about Iran's suspected program to develop nuclear weapons, calls for installing 10 antimissile interceptors at a European site by 2011. Poland and the Czech Republic are among the nations under consideration.

A recommendation on a European site is expected to be made this summer to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Pentagon officials say. The Pentagon has asked Congress for $56 million to begin initial work on the long-envisioned antimissile site, a request that has run into some opposition in Congress. The final cost, including the interceptors themselves, is estimated at $1.6 billion.

The establishment of an antimissile base in Eastern Europe would have enormous political implications. The deployment of interceptors in Poland, for example, would create the first permanent American military presence on that nation's soil and further solidify the close ties between the defense establishments of the two nations.
(snip/...)

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/22/world/middleeast/22missiles.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[jpak]

11. They don't work in Alaska

and they won't work anyplace else.

More of our tax $$$$ wasted on GOP defense contractor cronies...

[Kagemusha]

12. Actually it's more to scare them into joint action vs. Iran

You need missile defense, you need US offense. Join now... while you still can.

Subtle sales pitch, yes?

[TechBear_Seattle]

13. And when another Archduke gets assassinated...

Wasn't it exactly this same network of political alliances that turned a single act by a crazy nationalist into World War I?

[KoKo]

14. Anyone notice how every day there's a new Iran scare? And NYT's

WaPo and Canadian Conservative Newspaper plus assorted RW Blogs just play along with the Propaganda Machine.

Iran and Venezuela are in the Cross Hairs of these thugs and they won't let up. But, it's stale and old. I hope this crap is what's bringing down his poll numbers. I can't believe that folks will buy more "Mushroom Clouds/WMD/BIO/CHEM crap from these fear mongers of ill-repute.

[sweetheart]

15. It is one land mass

If you start walking in copenhagen, you'll eventually get to iran without
crossing an ocean.

This discussion is a veil over the real interest in gifting huge taxpayer
freebies out to eastern european new member states to divide europe
politically and weaken its ability to oppose USA corporate fascism and
aggressive military imperialism.