Wire: Russian Victory as Obama Kills Missile Defense for Czech, Poland
Off the Wire:
September 17: Obama kills missile defense for Poland on 70th anniversary of Soviet invasion...
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2009 -- Newswire services this morning reported that President Barack Obama has decided to scrap plans for a U.S. missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland that had angered Russia, the Czech prime minister confirmed Thursday.
The Associated Press reported that a Russian analyst said Obama's decision will increase the chances that Russia will cooperate more closely with the United States in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.
A Kyivpost.com analysis said the demise of the missile shield may have unintended consequences, serving to embolden Russian hawks.
Russian diplomacy is largely a zero-sum game and relies on projecting hard power to force gains, as in last year's war with Georgia over the rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia or the gas dispute with Ukraine at the start of this year.Czech premier Jan Fischer told reporters that Obama phoned him overnight to say that "his government is pulling out of plans to build a missile defense radar on Czech territory."
Western concepts of "win-win" deals and Obama's drive for 21st century global partnerships are not part of its vocabulary.
"The same happened with Poland. Poland was informed in the same way about this intention," Fischer said.
See links below for additional details.
(Report from newswire sources.)
Sources:
Obama scrapping missile shield for Czech, Poland
U.S. backs away from missile shield plan
Analysis: Demise of U.S. shield may embolden Russia hawks
Barack Obama surrenders to Russia on Missile Defense
US 'shelves Europe missile plan'
Labels: Bush, Military, Obama, Politics, Wire
posted by Steven Moyer at 7:53 AM
5 Comments:
What a nice way to treat allies who, without question, stood by us in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Where's the leadership in DC?
Is it all a political campaign?
Is giving speeches all Obama knows how to do?
What was Obama supposed to do, push the missile defence system and instigate hostility towards Russia when the system was overly aggressive from the start?
I guess mr. Tech, you are the type of person who would run away while your best friends are threatened in school because you are too cowardly to stand by them and face down the bully.
You confuse a defensive system, the ability to shoot down incoming weapons, with an offensive system, the ability to launch an attack, you idiot.
If you understood how steadfastly the Czechs and Pols have stood by the U.S., you wouldn't have left this stupid comment.
The White House keeps saying the threat is from Iran. The missile defense was to protect from Russian aggression, like the aggression in Georgia. It's all an admin smoke screen. But it's such thin smoke that our allies -- and enemies -- can see right through.
Obama is running a reparations government. Wake up.
Obama has taken his eye off the ball in Afghanistan.
More U.S. troops are dying there than ever while he ignores them out campaigning to end the health care a majority of Americans are happy with.
once again...no weapons of mass destruction...again..?
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