During the Bush administration, the United States came up with the idea of a missile defense shield to be based in Poland and the Czech Republic. The idea was supposedly to protect Europe from Iranian nuclear missiles. It was a stupid idea. As the picture above shows, the Iranians do not have and are not likely to have in the near future, any missiles that can reach Europe.
All the plan did was upset the Russians, and I can't blame them. While talking about the Iranians, the plan would put the missile defense on Russia's borders, and certainly looked like that's who the plan was really aimed at. Tensions were heightened between the U.S. and Russia, and it looked like we were backsliding to the Cold War.
Fortunately, President Obama has reassessed the plan and radically changed it. There won't be any part of the system in either Poland or the Czech Republic. Instead, the system will be a mobile system (probably ship-based) and will patrol much closer to Iran (the country it was supposed to protect Europe from). This makes a lot more sense.
It has also made the Russians happy. Prime Minister Putin called it a "correct and brave" move. President Medvedev said it created "good conditions" for the upcoming talks between the two countries on missile proliferation.
Of course, some of the Republicans don't like it. They are saying we made a concession to Russia and got nothing in return. What a ridiculous statement. We are going into missile proliferation talks with a happier Russia -- a Russia that will be much more ready to negotiate than if we were still threatening them.
Besides, why do we need a concession for discontinuing a dangerous and ineffective policy? Isn't changing such a policy reward enough?
once again...no weapons of mass destruction...again..?
ReplyDeleteBuilding missile systems that work occasionally IS right wing substitute for diplomacy. Pres.O. drops it in the best interests of this country, and if it also pleases other nations, that's a plus.
ReplyDelete