Czechs Give Go-Ahead for US 'Son of Star Wars' Base

[Jcrowley]

Czechs give go-ahead for US 'son of star wars' base

· Prague says move is good for European security
· Russia threatens to review its own missile defences

Ian Traynor, Europe editor
Monday January 22, 2007
The Guardian


The Czech government has announced that it wants to host a large US military site for the Pentagon's much-criticised missile shield system, confirming for the first time that Washington had asked Prague for permission to build a radar site for the national missile defence programme.

Russia had warned earlier this month that any extension of the US missile project to eastern Europe would force it to review its military planning.

In one of his first acts as the new Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek said that building the facilities in the Czech Republic, the first extension of the "son of star wars" project beyond the US, would boost European security.

Mr Topolanek referred only to a radar site, a strong indication that the Pentagon is hoping to locate the bigger part of the European project - a large missile interceptor silo that would theoretically fire off rockets to destroy incoming missiles - in neighbouring Poland.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,1995893,00.html

[Vidar]

1. This is a bad idea on way too many levels.

[Mika]

2. Time for a new Cuban missile "crisis"?

:hide: :yoiks: :hide: :yoiks: :hide: :yoiks: :hide: :yoiks: :hide: :yoiks: :hide: :yoiks: :hide:

[bobthedrummer]

3. Air Force 2025 required global bases in places like Czech. Republic and Poland

Air Force 2025 was presented in 1996-yep, this "coincided" with the "surge" of the politicized RW Holy Warriors now so vital to BFEE's HOMELAND(tm) and "coincidentally" why the RNC's primary focus has been on SDI follow-up programs cloaked as national security.
http://www.fas.org/spp/military/docops/usaf/2025/index.html

[Eugene]

4. BBC: Missile shield 'threatens Russia'

Last Updated: Monday, 22 January 2007, 14:47 GMT

Missile shield 'threatens Russia'

-snip-

Washington says it needs interceptor missiles in Europe to stop attacks
by states like Iran or North Korea.

It hopes to build a radar station in the Czech Republic and to site
interceptors in Poland.

Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski confirmed that
Washington has approached Warsaw over the project and said: "We are
now waiting for firm proposals."

But Moscow insists that the installation of US missiles in countries close
to its western border would change the strategic balance in Europe.

Lt Gen Vladimir Popovkin, commander of Russia's space forces, said
Moscow would interpret the move as a military threat.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6286289.stm

[Amused Musings]

5. What I see is a new Post Cold War strategy emerging

The US wants to move its bases further east now that the Soviet Union has been relegated to the trashcan of history. The chain of bases are going to be from Czech Republic all the way to Khazakstan. Putin played along right after 9/11 by giving the US his blessing in temporarily using old Soviet bases to fight the Taliban. He followed along with US desires for a realignment of bases because his brutal war in Chechnya could be rolled into the greater "War on Terror." Of course this is what happens when you give an inch to the US. They, we, take a mile. He realized this too late and we see flair ups like when the US and Russia butted heads over Ukraine's Orange Revolution.