Posted on 02/19/2007 10:18:14 AM PST by Tailgunner Joe
MOSCOW — Poland and the Czech Republic risk being targeted by Russian missiles if they agree to host elements of the proposed U.S. missile defense system, a top Russian general warned Monday in the latest in a series of increasingly bellicose statements from Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin has said he does not trust U.S. claims that it wants to deploy missile defense components in Europe to counter threats from Iran, and warned that Russia could take retaliatory action.
Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, head of Russia's missile forces, said the U.S. move would upset strategic stability.
"If the governments of Poland and the Czech Republic take such a step ... the Strategic Missile Forces will be capable of targeting these facilities if a relevant decision is made," he said.
The United States said last month that it wants to build a missile defense system in eastern Europe to protect the eastern United States and Europe from missiles launched from "rogue nations" in the Middle East. It would be the first such site in Europe.
The Czech government reiterated Monday that the U.S. defense system was not aimed at Russia.
"It is a passive defense against a different threat about which Russia has been informed in detail," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement from Prague. "It is nonsense from a military point of view that Russia could pull out of the treaty banning medium-range missiles and build additional military capabilities as a response to the U.S. missile defense."
But Solovtsov voiced concerns that Washington, which is planning to deploy 10 interceptors in Poland, could boost their number in the future. He warned that a hypothetical military action could have "grave consequences for all parties involved."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Apparently, being bankrupted by one cold war isn't enough.
To Russia: You are losers, corrupt, poor, and weak. Live with it.
They already are.
LOL... good post :) The Russian rulers suffer from the delusions of being a superpower when they are struggling to feed their population.
The Russians just can't stand it when neighboring states don't do as their told.
Lets see the Russian Government get their Mafia to fund another arms race.
Go have a Stoli and calm down.
Here's what I think we're saying to the Russians: You help us put the squeeze on Iran and we'll back off these missle shields. (although in a more subtle way)
And they will still be targets even if no missile shield is in place, so might as well have them than not have them........
Relax Vladi!
Missle defense can't work, it's impossible! Just ask the Dems in congress, or the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Nothing to worry about...
Thanks to Democrats and RINOs, there's been plenty of broken glass to crawl over!
Now if only the Democrats had the fortitude to craft legislation to defund the operations in Iraq. According to the MSM, that was their "mandate" from November.
In my book, 49-49 in the Senate, or 30 seats changing hands in the House, does not qualify as a mandate.
Putin is a commie at heart.
I miss Yeltsin.
More like Union of Concerned Communists.
Let me get this straight, Pooty-Poot. Are you saying that Poland and the Czech Republic aren't now and have never been targets of Russian military might in the past? There are plenty of people still alive in both coutries who remember what Russian tanks look like...
It's the age-old yearning for breadlines...
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