Poland OK with New U.S. Missile Deal

(AP)  Standing alongside U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Poland's prime minister said Wednesday his country was ready to participate in the Obama administration's revamped plan for a U.S. missile defense shield in Europe.

President Barack Obama removed a major irritant in relations with Russia last month by to place 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic to intercept long-range missiles from "rogue" states such as Iran. The Bush-era plan had enraged Moscow.

The Kremlin has praised Mr. Obama for the decision, but Russian officials also have said they want to know more about what missile defense system the U.S. will use instead.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomed the U.S. proposal for a missile shield that would replace a bulkier version previously planned for Poland.

"I want to stress that Poland views ... the new configuration for the missile shield as very interesting, necessary, and we are ready at the appropriate scale to participate," Tusk said at a news conference with Biden.

Biden, on the first stop of a three-nation trip aimed at reassuring Washington's allies in the region of its support, praised Warsaw for its readiness to accept the revamped plan. His trip was the highest-level visit yet by the Obama administration to Poland.

"We appreciate Poland has stepped up and agreed to host an element of the previous missile defense plan, and we now appreciate that Poland's government agrees with us that there is now a better way ... with new technology and new information, to defend against emerging ballistic missile threats," Biden said.

Biden said the new approach would meet "a growing threat" to the U.S. and Europe.

"It's going to meet it with proven technology that will cover more of Europe, including Poland, and will do it more efficiently than the previous system," he said. "Simply put, our missile plan is better security for NATO and is better security for Poland."

Biden was also meeting with Polish President Lech Kaczynski and was slated to meet with Polish soldiers who have served in NATO's mission in Afghanistan. He travels next to Romania and then to the Czech Republic on Friday.

Russian retired Gen. Viktor Yesin, the former chief of staff of the Russian military's Strategic Missile Forces, said Russia's reaction to the new missile defense plan will likely be calm unless the U.S. takes what he called provocative moves.

He said Moscow would certainly be angered if the U.S. were to send navy ships with interceptor missiles to the Black Sea or put a missile defense radar in Georgia.

Under Mr. Obama's new missile defense plan, U.S. Navy ships equipped with anti-missile weapons — such as the Navy's Standard Missile-3 — would form a front line of defense in the eastern Mediterranean. Those would be combined with land-based anti-missile systems to be placed on shore in Europe.

The proposal calls for a focus on short and medium-range interceptors to better counter expected threats from Iran. The Pentagon says the SM-3 anti-ballistic missile is the most technically advanced and cost-effective way to counter Tehran's anticipated arsenal.

Mr. Obama has said the old blueprint was scrapped largely because the U.S. has concluded Iran is less focused on developing the kind of long-range missiles for which the Bush-era system was originally developed.

All three of the ex-communist countries on Biden's trip have enjoyed cozy ties with the U.S. since Soviet-backed regimes fell 20 years ago. They have thrown their support behind Washington in its fight against terrorism, contributing troops to the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the NATO mission in Afghanistan.

Poland and Romania also face allegations of having hosted secret CIA prisons. Both deny the accusations.

Recently, regional leaders voiced nervousness that the Obama administration was ignoring the area's interests amid its push to reset relations with Russia — a power still deeply feared in eastern Europe.

Biden aims to reassure the region during his trip that Washington will not strike any deals with Russia over the heads of its allies.

[jmikey54]

Poor conservative talking heads. Obama seems to be doing everything right. He has patched up the rift that Bush created with Russia and at the same time he is installing a defense shield that will do a better job at protecting Europe and the US. On every front Obama is improving our security and economy. I am so proud to be able to say I voted for Obama.

[stuart-johns2]

The Pentagon says the SM-3 anti-ballistic missile is the most technically advanced and cost-effective way to counter Tehran's anticipated arsenal.

===================

That's a fascinating statement. So does that mean the US is going to allow Iran to develope nuclear weapons?

[wdh3007]

Leave it to old man Biden to come behind and make things right that his boss is obviously incapable of. Even Biden understands how important missile defense is when BO is over his head out of his league & doesn't have a clue. I wonder if the Nobel committie will also later regret giving this president that award and have dreams of having it back after this one. Only time will tell how this circus will play out by the next time we all vote.

[stuart-johns2]

Your showing your partisan ignorance. The fact is Obama gave Poland and all of Europe a much better and more cost efficient missle defense than that which was there.

The Navy's Aegis Missile Systems are portable, more efficient, more powerful and less costly than the very costly antiquated system that was in Poland.

[stuart-johns2]

Poland OK with New U.S. Missile Deal

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So Biden, how much was the check you brought Poland?

[stn_sage]

Well ob course Poland is OK with the placement of new missiles on it's soil! But...I can't imagine Russia will be...when they find out what type of missiles are there!

SO...THAT'S what we need to know! What is the U.S. arming them with?!

[jxknowles]

Relax already. The U.S. is not arming Poland with anything. Nothing. The new shield design, based on the Navy's Aegis system and ship-based, will be geographically closer to Iran, will be deployed sooner and will be more cost-effective than the land-based system put forward by the Bush administration. Russia, and now Poland, have agreed the new system is better.

[jxknowles]

One last comment on the photo. Being of Polish descent, I can say the Prime Minister does look like every other Polish kid I went to school wth. But Donald Tusk? What kind of a Polish name is that? Tuskinski, maybe. Tuskzowiecz, okay. Tusk is not a Polish name.

[sjc_1]

Bush rejected the ABM treaty in favor of provoking Russia, but he saw the soul of Putin so that was all OK. I guess "you are either with us or against us" took on a larger meaning and he was ready to restart another cold war to restore profits for his rich defense contractor friends in the Carlyle Group.

[koko98-2009]

Of course they are now "on board" because deep down they know that ANYTHING proposed by the Bush Administration was a loser.

[Turbidite]

So the USA has found more money, from the taxpayer of course, to spend on missiles & radar in Poland and the Czech Republic (and Georgia also?)to defend against "rouge" (red) states (I guess that means Belarus, Russia and China). So Obama lied again when he said that he is dismantling the surface-to-air missile and super-radar shields in former eastern bloc countries, AND co-defend against perceived "threats", which means establishing more foreign military bases. Then Russia,in turn, responds to a perceived threat, etc.....golly, this could lead to a confrontation. Let's see, we could call it a "Cold War"...how's that for a tricky title. Those of you that have been working and politicking for better health care, continued Social Security, better schools/ education, improved highways, less foreign spending, reduced illegal immigration, better control of Wall Street excesses, closing tax loopholes and tax violations of offshore bank accounts, reduced gang violence and lower taxes can rest now....it ain't goin' to happen under this administration (nor any foreseeable Republican administration either).

[Wolf1944]

to intercept long-range missiles from "rouge" states such as Iran.

"Rouge" is women's makeup. A "rogue" is a bad guy. Proofread, CBS.

[Stevenapoli7]

Obama needs to learn how to use the upper hand. What did he get for scrapping the defense shield? Wasted opportunity to get the Russiand to side with us on Iranian sanctions, for example.