Posted on 08/05/2006 6:50:57 AM PDT by A. Pole
As the Pentagon scouts Poland and the Czech Republic for possible locations for its planned missile defense shield, locals are proving to be less than enthusiastic about the idea.
With its planned new missile defense system, sometimes known as "Son of Star Wars," Washington wants to create a battery of defenses capable of protecting the United States and its allies from oncoming missiles -- nuclear or otherwise. A working version of the defense system does not yet exist and a number of tests have resulted in failure, but Pentagon officials are already scouring Eastern Europe for potential bases for the defense system.
[...]
Pentagon representatives meeting last week with officials in Warsaw and Prague came up against unexpected resistance. The problem lies in the fact that Washington is insisting that any base be considered a sovereign US installation on foreign soil. American soldiers would not be operating under Polish law and the Polish military could only be given access to the bases with Washington's blessing. In addition, the exlusive decision-making on defense missile launches would be made by the Americans, despite the fact that Poland could also be accountable for any such actions under international law. For Eastern European countries that just gained their sovereignty with the fall of the Iron Curtain, memories of occupation by Russian soldiers are still fresh and the Pentagon proposal is a prickly one.
[...]
The Pentagon officials were not exactly greeted with open arms in Prague either. According to opinion polls, more than 80 percent of Czechs oppose the plans for a missile base in their country.
[...]
(Excerpt) Read more at service.spiegel.de ...
East Europe bump.
Attitudes will change once the first errant missile from Iran lands in Bulgaria.
LOL yeah because there's no one Iran hates more than Bulgaria.
But if this missile defense system works, where the shot down missiles will land?
Hopefully France.
Can any European believe that the USA will act like Communist Russia? I mean we have a track record of protecting our allies and asking nothing in return. Hell we build countries back up after wars.
What future war do you have in mind?
Good map. It shows where the PREFECT location is - Shetland Islands! The shot down missiles will land in the Atlantic Ocean.
As I was speaking of past wars in Europe not future wars. I am sure however when we do have to help france out again when they go to war with the radical muslim population of their country we will yet again build them back up. I would prefer we didnt help France this time but c'est la vie.
Lebanon used to be majority Christian and still is culturally close to France.
OK thats great, wish it still was a majority Christian. What is the point?
Now when Lebanese Christian are less than half of population, what help do they get?
We can't be everywhere. My guess is that when France calls for help we will be there,... maybe. I'm sure we will be there for the rest of Europe even if we let France sink into the sewer of history as an object lesson.
"Maybe" is the key word here.
Hey maybe is the best France deserves.
Just remember, the French government is not all of the French. They have a lot of folks angry with the destruction of their society by the ignorant fundamentalists masses that were brought into their midst.
As for missile destruction, well one destroyed missile does a lot less damage than a nuclear tipped one no matter what its destination.
That is absolutely true. When we think of "The French", we automatically think of the arrogant cold Parisians and the French government. But outside of Paris, the French are mostly warm-hearted, level-headed and well -- normal people. It is the French intellectuals we have a problem with -- and that is true in just about every society, including our own!
Ordinary French are quite upset about the destruction of their culture -- first by they EU who wants to water it down (until it disappears) and now by the Muslims who have been allowed to run hog-wild by those same Euros. I am expecting a major backlash to all of this soon out of France.
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