Polish town leery of US missile defense

REDZIKOWO, Poland - Among the people living around this disused Polish air base, there is little enthusiasm for the missile interceptor station likely to be built here as part of a U.S. missile defense system.

Poland's new government is sounding increasingly skeptical about the plan, arguing that it won't boost Polish security, and that sentiment is echoed throughout this farming region near the Baltic Sea coast.

The main fear is that the area will become a target for retaliation by Russia, which vigorously opposes President Bush's plan.

"If they build the missile defense base here, it'll be a magnet and the first place the Russians will shoot their missiles," said Tadeusz Krajnik, a 55-year-old retired air force technician who lives in one of the brightly colored Communist-era apartment blocs next to the base.

"Let's tell the truth here: It's not aimed against Iran, or against Vietnam or whatever — it's against Russia."

The U.S. wants to place 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar base in the Czech Republic, but has been wrestling with hostile perceptions ever since it began negotiating with the two governments early last year.

Washington says the system is needed to defend the U.S. and Europe against long-distance threats from countries such as Iran. Russia argues that such an installation so close to its territory would threaten its security.

Last year, Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, head of Russia's missile forces, warned that Moscow could target future bases in Poland and the Czech Republic with Russian missiles.

Three miles down the road from this base that once housed Soviet-made fighter jets and was shuttered in 1999, the people of Slupsk, a town of 100,000, are skeptical of assurances from Polish officials that the region will be the nation's safest if it hosts the base.

"I don't like it; if the base gets built, the Russians will fire at us for sure, so we will in fact be the most threatened," says Zenon Kuwalko, a 54-year-old engineer from Slupsk.

Part of the opposition stems from a wider perception that Poland has gained little in return for staunchly supporting the U.S. in recent years and sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We have not received any benefits from our cooperation with the Americans so far — not one thing," says Leszek Pieniak, 48, who owns the Pod Kogutem restaurant near the base. "Not in Iraq, not in Afghanistan, not in Poland — nothing. We don't even have visas. I'll tell my grandchildren that maybe in 20 years they'll have a shot at visa-free travel to the U.S."

The base of 28 hangars behind barbed wire sits on 1,000 acres, with a 1.5-mile runway, and would serve the region better as a small airport for businessmen and tourists, many here believe.

It can help cut unemployment, running at over 20 percent, "Whereas I think that building the base here will in a sense block off and isolate our region," said Jan Junczyk, 48, a reserve captain in Poland's air force who once flew MiG 23s at the base.

Mariusz Chmiel, the county manager for the region, also would rather see a civilian airport open.

He was among a handful of local officials who were flown to the U.S. in August to tour Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, home to missile interceptor silos, and to hear from Vandenberg residents about the base's impact on the community and local economy.

"From my point of view," Chmiel said, "it would be better if the base wasn't built here, but I'm aware that if the base is needed for international security, we aren't going to oppose it."

“Part of the opposition stems from a wider perception that Poland has gained little in return for staunchly supporting the U.S. in recent years and sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.”

And, by and large, that perception is right. We have royalled screwed up with Poland, which was almost virulently pro-American even at the level of the citizenry at the start of the decade. It’s indicative, IMHO, of the true failings of this administration - failings that don’t get headlines or a lot of public handwringing, but which have done far more than the war itself to eat away our influence in eastern Europe and, to a lesser extent, Asia.

BS.

Most Euro’s are genetically disposed to be cowards and would rather appease the enemy than fight for freedom.

Most of their best bloodlines moved to this Country years ago and the rest died out in WW1, aka yet another dumb euro civil war that we should have stayed out of.

I agree, but the root of the problem is the nest of leftists in the STATE Dept. who hate and resent any nations and peoples friendly to Bush admin. policies. Although much more should have been done from the WH, it could have been completely counter-productive since any such efforts would be sabotaged by liberal bureaucrat moles who are hostile to this admin. and hostile to friendly countries who work with this admin.

Think about it, if any admin. official outside of the State Dept. tried to push for friendly visa and economic policies for the Poles, the libs in State would raise holy hell about how “neo-cons” in the admin. were rewarding their friends. No matter that rewarding the nations that stand by us is great AMERICAN policy, for there are so many people in the State Dept. who despise anyone who stood by us in Iraq, etc.

No, the only way more sensible policies could have come about would have been from within the State Dept. itself, and that’s certainly not going to happen.....

It is terrible to be alienating many of America’s real friends in the world, and it is the left-liberal beast of the MSM + State that does that!

"Most Euro’s are genetically disposed to be cowards and would rather appease the enemy than fight for freedom."

That's a bold statement.

I figure we should let Europe build missile defense for Europe.

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