Posted on 03/21/2007 5:14:58 AM PDT by A. Pole
WARSAW -- The U.S. proposal to place radar and interceptor sites for a new missile defense system in Central Europe -- respectively, in the Czech Republic and Poland -- may generate a new security partnership with the countries of the region. Or it could provoke a spiral of misunderstanding, weaken NATO, deepen Russian paranoia [...]
Early omens are worrisome. Some genius at the State Department or the Pentagon sent the first official note describing possible placement of the facility with a draft reply attached -- a reply that contained a long list of host countries' obligations and few corresponding U.S. commitments. Natives here tend to think they are capable of writing their own diplomatic correspondence. But in a region where goodwill toward the United States depends on the memory of its support in resisting Soviet colonialism, this was particularly crass.
[...]
the war in Iraq has dented Central European trust. The spectacle of the U.S. secretary of state at the U.N. Security Council solemnly presenting intelligence that proved unreliable shook our faith. Our old-fashioned expectation that the United States would show gratitude for our participation in Iraq also proved misplaced
[...]
Meanwhile, membership in the European Union has reoriented our foreign and domestic policies. Few in the United States realize that Poland, to name one example, is receiving $120 billion to upgrade its infrastructure and agriculture under the current seven-year E.U. budget. By comparison, American military assistance to Poland amounts to $30 million annually, a fraction of what we spend on missions in Iraq and Afghanistan that we regard as acts of friendship toward the United States.
[...]
The worst outcome would be for the Czech and Polish governments to yield to diplomatic arm-twisting only for the agreements to fail in our famously independent parliaments.
[...]
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
i've never taken poland for granted
for the jokes alone, how could you?
Bump
B.S. Russian paranoia is a myth. All through the Cold War the left harped that we were forcing the Soviets to respond, that they were terrified that the West was going to invade. Indeed, the Soviets themselves did what they could to promote this view.
Yet, when the wall fell, there was a small window of openness when we got to see all of the Soviet military's war plans. Not a single plan was predicated on the threat of a NATO invasion.
Poland has always been in between a rock and a hard place. During the Second World War, they were divided between Stalin and Hitler and then fought over by brutal Communists and Nazis. But it goes back a lot further than that, as the novels of Henryk Sienkiewicz suggest. Not to mention the Teutonic Knights and the Tartars.
I can only presume that the governments of the United States and Poland thoroughly discussed the placement of defensive missiles in Poland before any announcement was made, and that the Polish government anticipated what Putin's reaction would be.
I imagine that Poland wants to be allied militarily with the United States, since the EU is a pretty weak reed. There's no easy solution for Poland, but they certainly can't afford just to sit back and wring their hands, like the editors of the Washington Post. They are right in the middle of things.
I see no benefit in Poland provoking Russia because she thinks NATO will back her up. I am not too sure Americans want to fight over Polish rights to sell beef in Russia or to stop Russia bypassing Poland in building a gas pipeline to Germany.
I see no benefit in Poland provoking Russia because she thinks NATO will back her up. I am not too sure Americans want to fight over Polish rights to sell beef in Russia or to stop Russia bypassing Poland in building a gas pipeline to Germany.
Oops -sorry for double post.
I would never take pierogies for granted - ever.
Poland's political existence has always been a balancing act between the reigning powers of the day.
This missle defense system - is it aimed at Iran?
The real solution to that problem is to take out the missles.
Probably cheaper in the long run.
Of course not. If it were they would be based in Turkey or Bulgaria even.
Nor polska kielbasa.
>>Poland's political existence has always been a balancing act between the reigning powers of the day. <<
not always, only since the end of 18 th century
Sikorski's article was written shortly after Angela Merkel's meeting with Kaczynski and is clearly targeted for both American and Polish audiences. Sikorski encourages others to ask "what have you done for me lately?".
The war plans of the USSR were not defensive. The fact that you were told as a conscript that you were serving in order to protect your homeland is hardly surprising.
As Poles, Czechs, Hungarians, etc. were not trusted by the Russians, you were to be the cannon fodder.
Also in the Soviet war plans was the use of tactical nuclear weapons to kick things off on day one.
Lol - sounds like italian for me.
Hey - however good your restaurant goes luigi - remember it is us who protect you from evil. You don't want your little daughter getting hurt, do you ?
Now this has always been a good base for business in america and sicilly.
What an earth would giver poland the right to have a gas pipeline payed by the germans and filled by the russians to pass their country ?
The right to earn money wihtout performance ?
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