Posted on 02/25/2007 11:00:54 AM PST by lizol
Poland: Russia's Sign Of Weakness On Polish Missile Base
Warsaw, Poland February 25, 2007. Russia's objection to Poland putting missiles on Polish soil as part of the US missile shield shows either a military or character weakness. The Russians more likely fear not being feared by Poland more than they fear what a paltry 10 missle's could do to the overall Russian missile might.
If 10 missle's on Polish soil could have any real effect of a launch of Russian missiles against the US, then the Russian missile system is in sad shape.
The Russians surely know that it would be a foolish US military planner who would think that the US could protect itself against a Russian military launch with 10 interceptors. The Russians are sure to know that even if their military is not up to par, the threat that it might be is enough to cause potential attackers caution.
And then there is a very practical consideration. The interceptors are so close to Russia that any Russian missles would have long passed Poland before the interceptors were launched. Any Russian planner should know that.
So why all the Russian bluster and posturing?
With US missiles on Polish soil, Poland is firmly in the US camp. And that may be a big blow to the Russian ego.
Russian leaders have not been able to get over their loss of the ability to dominate Poland and the accompanying loss of self awarded prestige. And it seems that it is particularly grating to them to have Poland act like it really is independent of Russian influence and is a real member of the European Union.
Russia wants to be "important" again. And dominating Poland helps make it important.
Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski hit it right on when he said in Warsaw on February 20 that recent vocal Russian opposition to U.S. plans for a missile-defense system with sites in Poland and the Czech Republic shows that Moscow hopes to regain a "sphere of influence" in Eastern Europe
The stakes are high for Poland. It either knuckles under to Russian pressure or it digs in its heels and goes forward making its own decisions without looking over its shoulder worried about what the Russian Bear will do.
The "Financial Times" quoted Eugeniusz Smolar, who heads Poland's Center for International Studies, as noting that "considering the relative weakness of the EU's common foreign and defense policy, it comes down to the question [of whether] we want the Americans in...or out."
It also quoted Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Vondra as saying that "if we turn our back on this [U.S.] request, there is a threat that the [United States] will back away from Europe. If the Poles and the Czechs reject the [request], the Americans will [respond] accordingly." Radio Free Europe
Opting to having "the Americans in" will be a slap on the snout of the Russian Bear. That will not sit well with the Russian people who want their glory days of being a feared world power. So they are objecting.
And the strength of their objections shows just how insecure they are.
In the end that can cause more problems for Poland. The Russians may look at other ways to get even with Poland for the slap on the snout.
They are just too weak to take rejection.
Nonsense.
Poland fears Russia.
They kept Poland under their tyrannical boots for decades.
Poland just wants some insurance in case the Russians try it again.
Considering the disparity in strength between Poland and the Soviet Union, 'cusa me, "Russia", the Poles would do well to find a reliable and powerful ally. With all it's flaws, the U.S. is the only game in town.
No, 10 interceptors would be paltry vs. the Russia arsenal. The Russians see it as the camel's nose.
I was referring to spelling and grammar, but ok.
I thank you all for being such good allies and having such a strong backbone. The only country in the EU that would try and help you against the soviets err russians would be the UK(they may not though if leftists continue to dominate). The US would be there for you 100%. We know how hard real freedom is to come by and how precious it is. Till the end friends,we got your back.Russia doesnt scare the US and thats why they hate us,because they cant bully us around. :)
I went to a Catholic high school in Queens (a mainly residental borough of New York City). We had few Eastern European (mostly Hungarian) teachers and several sons whose parents were Polish refugees. There were also some Ukranians and Hungarians, all of whom bitterly despised the Soviet Union.
I understand and believe your ardor. That doesn't mean that Poland doesn't fear Russia. A completely rational fear, btw.
As I told lizol when I signed up for this ping list, I grew up respecting the Polish and anti Soviet Eastern Europeans. I hope God grants Eastern Europe the freedom and security that the spoiled brats in Western Europe have taken for granted for the last 60 years.
As long as Hillary is not your Mrs. President.
She wont be,and even if she was we would help poland more than say germany or france.
Well Mathias - we both already found out that we are the same age. I was born on New Year's Eve 1967 (and -funny but true - my wife on Christmas Eve 1969). In 1980 I visited for the first time in my life the family of my uncle in New York as a 12 year old boy. It was quite a "happening" for me and I was deeply impressed about the town and the different American lifestyle. Therefore I remember this time very well.
I even can remember the things that were politically important at that time. We were all (no matter if we speak about Americans or Germans) deeply impressed by the bravery of your fathers who fought for their convictions from autum 1980 on. Nevertheless it was always clear that the West (no matter if we talk about Americans or Germans or whatever) was not able to help you directly, since we would have been confronted with roundabout 10.000 Russian nukes.
One thing is indeed true. We Germans never hated the Russians and therefore we were able to sing friendly and foolish songs about them.
In the home of my American uncle whose family originally came from the Minsk area (until they all were razed first by the NKWD and later by the SS - but this is another story) I met a good-hearted and intelligent Russian back then. Since I already knew a littlebit English he was able to talk with me and we had lots of fun. He was a physician who accompanied some Russian athletes on a contest in Europe in the late 70ties and was lucky enough to escape. But since he was forced to leave his family back in Russia this guy was for sure a very sad man.
I can remember that he told me back then that this spark of freedom in Poland will ignite a fire that is going to eat all of the Soviet system.
Believe me - in my family (no matter if we speak about the Europeans or the Americans) we all were far away from gloryfying the Soviet Union or its masters in the Kremlin.
But... ...one thing is true. We never hated the Russians just because they are Russians. Personally I am still convinced that it is in our well understood own interest to get Russia to the point where we want to have them. If it would be possible to change the Russian system into something free, into something better we all would have a great benefit. Just imagine the markets for your (and our) industry. The Russian people will be better off, you will be better off and -last but not least- we Germans will be better off too.
I agree that we have to be careful, but to hide in fear is also no solution.
The only possibility to pull the teeth of the Russian bear is to establish a free society there. Maybe you already found out that free societies are unable to start offensive wars. Until the Russians are not free they will remain a threat. Poland will be safe if the Russian people are free. Therefore all of us have to push for a regime change there. This is the real legacy of President Reagan. :)
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