Reuters Sun 21 Jan 2007

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland said on Sunday it was still in talks with the United States about the possibility of allowing it to base an anti-missile system on its soil, and had no comment on a report that a final deal had been agreed.

Washington is investing $10 billion (5.1 billion pounds) a year in developing the system, which would use rockets to shoot down hostile missiles.

Diplomats say Poland is considered one of the best potential locations for rocket batteries. The Czech government said on Saturday the United States had asked permission to build a radar base on its territory which would form part of the defence system.

Plans to deploy the anti-missile shield on Polish soil have met with strong criticism from Russia, which sees the move as an attempt by the United States to destabilise the balance of power in central Europe.

Moscow has warned it will take unspecified measures against Poland, a member of the Russian-dominated "Warsaw Pact" military alliance until the fall of communism in the early 1990s, if it accepts the defence system.

more

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

Protesters display a banner against a US missile base in the Czech Republic
Protesters display a banner against a US missile base in the Czech Republic. Photograph: Michal Cizak/AFP/Getty Images

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.

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

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

By Natalia Reiter | Jan 22

WARSAW (Reuters) - Placing a U.S. anti-missile system on Polish and Czech soil would strengthen Europe's defence against a rogue nuclear attack but would not threaten Russia, a senior U.S. official was quoted on Monday as saying.

A top Russian general criticised Washington's plan but U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried told the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita that Moscow had nothing to fear.

"We believe that building infrastructure of the anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech (Republic) will significantly boost the defences of a united Europe," Fried said. "I want to stress that the anti-missile system is not aimed at Russia."

The United States is investing billions of dollars a year in a Missile Defence Initiative (MDI) system, which would combine long-range radars and ballistic rockets to detect and shoot down missiles carrying nuclear, bacteriogical or chemical warheads.

Fried said Washington had made a specific offer to Warsaw and Prague last week to start detailed negotiations, which he said could last for months, on hosting a part of the system.

Under the proposal, Poland could be the base for underground rocket silos and the Czech Republic would host the radar system.

The site would be the biggest element of the MDI shield outside the United States. U.S officials say the system will protect it and its allies from missiles that could be fired from North Korea, Iran or other "rogue regimes".

Asked if Washington was speeding up talks on the system because of tensions with nuclear proliferators, Fried said:

"I don't think we need to act under any time pressure. Polish concerns, the conditions for building the base and the basis for our cooperation must be carefully discussed."

RUSSIA OPPOSED

Poland, a close U.S. ally since overthrowing communism in 1989, has long been considered a potential location for rocket batteries.

But Russia, Poland's former Warsaw Pact overlord, sees the shield as weakening its own security and has warned Warsaw it could take unspecified measures if it is built in Poland.

"Our analysis shows that the placing of a radio locating station in the Czech Republic and anti-missile equipment in Poland is a real threat to us," Russian news agencies quoted space forces commander Lt.-Gen. Vladimir Popovkin as saying.

Polish and U.S. diplomats say Russia's main concern is that the shield might weaken its nuclear deterrent and disturb the military balance in Europe.

Poland's parliament would have to endorse a decision to host the missiles, amid some public scepticism about the project.

Opposition to the plan has come also from within the ruling coalition, but some opposition parties are likely to back Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who supports it.

Defence Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Polish television on Sunday that safeguarding Poland's security would be the most important factor in the government's decision.

"I think we want to assure the Polish public that we will approach this issue very seriously," he said.