US portrays European Missile Defense as protection against mideast threats
Regional-USA, Politics, 3/6/2007

Although the United States advocates placing limited missile defense capabilities in Europe, a senior US government nonproliferation expert says it has no interest in sparking an arms race with Russia.

Discussions with Poland and the Czech Republic entail deployment of "a purely defensive system," says US Assistant Secretary of State John Rood. This would put 10 missile interceptors and tracking radar sites in Central Europe to defend against Middle Eastern threats.

The US objective for limited missile defenses in Europe "is to optimize the defensive coverage of both Europe and the United States," Rood said during a February 27 speech in London. Adding the defense assets would provide considerable protection against long-range missiles and intermediate-range missiles, he said.

The United States has been transparent about its plans and capabilities and has encouraged Russia to cooperate against a common threat, Rood added. "I think everybody understands that with a growing Iranian missile threat -- which is quite pronounced -- that there needs to be ways to deal with that problem," he said.

If negotiations with the two Central European hosts are successful, he said, "we hope to begin major construction in these countries in 2008 and... (begin) missile defense operations by 2012." Once operational, the assets in Poland and the Czech Republic would be integrated with existing radar sites in the United Kingdom and Greenland as well as missile defense interceptors in California and Alaska.

Previous Stories:
  Safavi: US needs Iran in the region   (2/21/2007)
  Minister: Iran to give strong response to any aggression   (2/11/2007)
  US Iran strike against Iran unlikely   (1/20/2007)

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