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Bush casts doubts on Putin missile offer
Washington Times ^ | June 12, 2007 | Joseph Curl

Posted on 06/12/2007 1:43:31 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe

On the last day of an eight-day, six-country swing across Europe, the president visited Bulgaria, a reward for the small nation's deployment of troops to Afghanistan and Iraq and for allowing the use of four military bases. ...

The U.S. missile system -- a military radar installation in the Czech Republic and 10 missiles in Poland to protect NATO allies from an attack by a rogue nation such as Iran or North Korea -- came up again yesterday, with Mr. Bush voicing doubts about a Russian proposal.

At the Group of Eight summit in Germany last week, President Vladimir Putin surprised the White House by offering a radar site controlled by the Russian military in Azerbaijan as a replacement for the two Eastern European sites.

"And I said, 'That's a good idea, I don't know how -- whether it's technologically feasible, I'm not an expert. I've got experts in my government, however, who could analyze your proposal,' " Mr. Bush said in a joint press conference.

While Moscow fiercely opposes the U.S. plan, fearing the missiles are aimed at Russia, Mr. Parvanov, as leader of the once-loyal Soviet ally, sought a middle ground.

"Bulgaria should not have to choose between the friendship between the U.S. and the friendship with Russia," he said.

Mr. Bush also held out a carrot to Serbia, which opposes independence for the Kosovo province. He said the Bulgarian president had offered an idea that "I agree with, and that is, is that as we seek independence for Kosovo, we've also got to make it clear to Serbia that there's a way forward, maybe in NATO, maybe in the EU, and definitely in better relations with the United States."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: geopolitics; missledefense

1 posted on 06/12/2007 1:43:34 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tailgunner Joe

It looks like this guy is incapable of seeing problems, being part of solutions, and cannot resist flying into the flame....


2 posted on 06/12/2007 1:51:24 PM PDT by Vn_survivor_67-68
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Bush can not just say NO to alternative location of
the radar because it will be obvious to everybody that
missile defense is against Russia.
He MUST find an excuse: we will not use Russian radar because it is
m-m-m .... because it is ugly! Yes, it’s ugly and old.


3 posted on 06/12/2007 9:52:03 PM PDT by EMT
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