Poland lies directly under the great circle route from the Middle East (Tehran) to the US East Coast (Washington, DC).
Posted on 11/17/2005 1:13:40 AM PST by twinself
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. and Polish officials are discussing building a base in Poland from which U.S. interceptors could shoot down long-range missiles as part of a global defence network, a Pentagon official said Wednesday.
It would be the first American strategic missile defence site outside U.S. territory, and would be designed to defend all of Europe against intercontinental-range missiles - primarily those launched from the Middle East.
No decision has been made to proceed with a missile defence base in Poland and alternative sites in Europe are a possibility. But the Pentagon official said Poland appears to be the most likely host country for the kind of American military installation that would have been unthinkable before Poland joined NATO in 1999.
The official discussed the matter only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
The Pentagon has made no public announcement of its discussions with Polish officials, although it has made known its extensive consultations in recent years with NATO allies on the threat posed by ballistic missiles.
On Monday, Poland's new prime minister, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, said he was opening a public debate on whether to host a U.S. missile defence base.
He did not specifically say Washington was interested in installing ground-based interceptors of the sort that the Pentagon has recently installed in Alaska.
"This is an important issue for Poland, related to our security and to our co-operation with an important ally," Marcinkiewicz said.
He leads a new conservative government in Warsaw that took office on Oct. 31. The previous government had expressed concern that missile defence co-operation with Washington could harm relations with Russia, which had opposed Poland's decision to become a member of NATO.
The U.S. military has no permanent bases in Poland or other Central and Eastern European countries formerly aligned with the Soviet Union. The U.S. does have bases in former Soviet republics in Central Asia such as Kyrgyzstan.
U.S. officials have been discussing with new NATO members Romania and Bulgaria the possibility of basing some U.S. troops there as part of a repositioning of U.S. forces around the world.
U.S. officials have been considering a number of possibilities for extending the American missile defence network to include Europe, although most of the focus has been on defences against short-range missiles.
Long-range missiles are considered an emerging threat, in the view of Bush administration officials, because of the proliferation of technologies that would allow countries such as Iran and possibly Syria or Libya to build extended-range missiles. The threat is especially worrisome when coupled with nuclear warheads.
The current U.S. defence system against long-range missiles is limited mainly to an installation at Fort Greely, Alaska, where at least six missile interceptors are in underground silos, linked to a command and control system. It is designed mainly to shoot down missiles fired at U.S. territory from North Korea, with future expansion planned.
The Pentagon official who discussed the Polish option said that if a missile defence base were built there, it probably would be the only one needed to defend Europe against long-range missiles, although radars, other sensors and interceptors designed to combat shorter range missiles also would be needed for a complete defence.
The official estimated that a site in Poland would not be ready to begin operating before 2010. He offered no estimate on how much it might cost or when U.S. officials were likely to make a decision to proceed. Also undetermined is whether the site would be controlled jointly by U.S. and Polish forces or possibly with a NATO role.
Grozny. A few days... (living with barbarians) Chechnya's Grimmest Industry (An oldy but here's why to fight Islam)
Oh you care, otherwise I wouldn't be hearing the nashing of your teeth all the way across the Atlantic. You care so much it makes you hurt. You care so much, you'll happily hop in bed with Islamics to get your way.
Poland lies directly under the great circle route from the Middle East (Tehran) to the US East Coast (Washington, DC).
Yes it would. A missile launched from Tehran to Washington would fly directly over Poland. See the great circle route in the map in my #143.
"It would be the first American strategic missile defence site outside U.S. territory, and would be designed to defend all of Europe against intercontinental-range missiles - primarily those launched from the Middle East."
I think you are missing the strategy here.
You need to read between the lines. If it were to defend Western Europe, then it would be a NATO base, or other European military installation, but given that is is going to be a United States site, you need to look at why it would need to be there.
Please remind me who was the first to join Hitler against Poland. The first Nazi allies?
Stop spending US money on your anti-Russian agenda.
This statement is just ridiculous. Firstly it is USA, the country which wants to spend its own money and we didn’t make any decisions yet wherever we agree. Secondary this project has little to do with Russia.
At least you admitted that Zhirinovski and Russian communist party are right according to you. Let me express my displeasure, that I need to discuss in this conservative forum with somebody like you.
To bad for the America-haters, Iraq could have made that list. Also, nobody outside the "Bush Administration" thinks Iran, Syrian or Libyan missile tech is a threat?
Funny to see like when Poland and USA strike a deal some Putin's lapdogs howl sky high although the whole issue is not their business :))
still do. But Poland has been either Germanys or Russias punk for centuraries. Must be gauling to have the U.S. setting up bases there, at least to the russians. Sort of a psychological butt kicking.
"Your comparison is an incredible insult to the Jewish people..."
So that's why Israel doesn't recognize Armenian genocide ? Would that be insult to the Jewish people too ?
Bush has said that he'd cooperate (give away the company store) with the Russian on ABM systems. I'm surprised the base isn't in Russia and US taxpayers supporting it!
"If the West Coast can be protected by a system in California, the East Coast does not need protection based in Europe. Protection of the East Coast could be based in NY, NJ, Delaware, Md or another midpoint."
Maybe. I don't know details about this system, no one on this forum knows and even If knew wouldn't write about It but I would say that also for the western one better location than California would be Hawaii Islands but maybe there wasn't enough empty space or weather conditions are not good.
"But your other statements suggested you thought it belonged elsewhere in Europe. Kind of like the group home for problem kids that everyone knows must be built but not in their neighborhood."
I don't need It in Europe, I only said that If the base is built in Central Europe (for example Czech Republic) that will be a next part of a good therapy for Russia. Why should we need It in Poland ? Who is going to attack us ? Israel ?
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