SCUDO ANTI-MISSILE: VARSAVIA, OBAMA NON RIVEDRA' IL PIANO

[rossana <rossana at comodinoposta.org>]

La Repubblica 8-11-08

Barack Obama ha promesso che manterra' il piano di installare una 
batteria di missili in Polonia, nell'ambito del cosiddetto scudo 
globale. Lo ha annunciato la presidenza polacca, dopo che erano 
circolate voci secondo cui il neo presidente eletto sarebbe orientato a 
rivedere il progetto che ha fatto salire la tensione tra Washington e 
Mosca. "Barack Obama ha sottolineato l'importanza della partnership 
strategica tra Polonia e Stati Uniti, ed ha espresso la sua speranza di 
continuare la collaborazione politica e militare tra i due Paesi", si 
legge nel comunicato diffuso dall'ufficio del presidente Lech Kaczynski, 
che venerdi' ha avuto una conversazione telefonica con il neo-eletto 
presidente Usa. "(Obama) ha anche detto che il progetto dello scudo 
anti-missile andra' avanti".

Obama adviser: No commitment on defense shield

(CNN) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has made "no commitment" to 
plans for a missile defense program in eastern Europe, despite a report 
on the Polish president's Web site, an Obama adviser said Saturday.

(CNN) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has made "no commitment" to 
plans for a missile defense program in eastern Europe, despite a report 
on the Polish president's Web site, an Obama adviser said Saturday.

Obama spoke to President Lech Kaczynski over the phone about continuing 
military and political cooperation between the two countries and 
possibly meeting in person soon, both sides said.

Obama "had a good conversation with the Polish president and the Polish 
prime minister about the important U.S.-Poland alliance," said Denis 
McDonough, Obama's senior foreign policy adviser.

However, Kaczynski's office says on its Web site that during the same 
conversation, Obama told Kaczynski that he intends to continue plans for 
a missile shield in eastern Europe.

Obama's adviser denied the report.

"President Kaczynski raised missile defense, but President-elect Obama 
made no commitment on it. His position is as it was throughout the 
campaign: that he supports deploying a missile defense system when the 
technology is proved to be workable," McDonough said.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Obama 
also had a phone conversation and agreed to meet soon.

"During the discussion, both sides emphasized that relations between 
Russia and the USA are priority ones for both parties and that their 
positive development is crucial not only for the peoples of the two 
countries but also for the wider international community," a statement 
from the Kremlin said.

Russia has been infuriated by U.S. plans for the missile-defense 
installation, which includes basing missile interceptors in Poland. The 
interceptor rockets would be linked to an air-defense radar system in 
the Czech Republic.

The United States has tried to mollify Russia by stressing that the 
missile defense is directed at rogue states, such as Iran, and that the 
number of interceptors in the shield would be "easily overwhelmed" by 
Russian forces.

Medvedev, in his first state-of-the-nation speech since taking office 
this year, warned this week that Russian missiles will be deployed 
against the planned system. VideoWatch more about the Kremlin attack on 
U.S. policy »

"The Iskander missile system will be deployed in Kaliningrad region to 
neutralize, when necessary, the missile shield," Medvedev said. "We are 
also planning to use the resources of the Russian naval fleet for these 
purposes."

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Medvedev's announcement 
that Russia would deploy missiles in response to the shield is 
"disappointing."

Russian officials have warned that deploying the missile shield would 
open Poland up to an attack in the event of conflict.

Russia fears that the missile shield would blunt its nuclear deterrent.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman reiterated Wednesday that the missiles 
are not aimed at Russia and are designed as a defensive shield for U.S. 
allies in Europe. He said the shield is designed with the possibility of 
Iranian ballistic missiles in mind.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/11/08/obama.us.poland.missile.shield/index.html