Reply #124: Yes, that is the other take on this - trading the ABM launchers for Russian cooperation on Iran

[leveymg]

Before we all celebrate, let's think this one through. The scrapping of plans to field missile interceptors in Eastern Europe and the former southern republics may be part of a deal with Russia, who were against both bad ideas pushed by the Bush Administration to change the strategic deterrence with Russia and to force regime change in Iran. It may well be that the ABM pawn was traded for some agreement that Moscow will go along with some sort of harder sanctions regime against Tehran.

I haven't reached a conclusion yet, but the potential harms from the latter part of such a deal may potentially exceed the possible benefits of the former part.

My hope is that real negotiations and regional settlements can still be reached with Russia and Iran, because we all remain in terrible danger of world war if we can't or won't use this window to engage in real, substantial deal-making with both.