Poles indignant that U.S. altered missile-shield plans

LA Times ^ | September 29, 2009 | Megan K. Stack

[rdl6989]

Reporting from Warsaw - It hardly seems to matter anymore that Poles had long been leery of hosting U.S. missile interceptors aimed at defending against long-range threats from Iran. Now that Washington has backed out of the missile shield agreement forged by the Bush administration -- and opposed by Russia -- people here are reeling. Washington says it is changing plans in response to new intelligent assessments about Iran. But the Obama administration has undeniably been courting the Kremlin in hopes that Russia will ramp up pressure on Iran and North Korea, and cooperate with efforts to pacify Afghanistan. Just days after the U.S. scrapped its plans for interceptors in Poland, Moscow signaled a willingness to take a slightly tougher line with Tehran.

In Poland and among other members of the old Soviet bloc, the American announcement has played into a historic sense of uncertainty. Warsaw's political elite spoke of a visceral fear that the Obama administration is willing to sacrifice Central Europe in its eagerness to repair badly damaged relations with a resurgent Russia.

The indignation is partly fueled by bruised feelings over what many here describe as bungled American diplomacy in breaking the news to Warsaw. But there is also concern over the perception that the United States overhauled its defense strategy in part to appease Moscow

[Nachum]

The list, ping

[coconutt2000]

lol, yeah - I have been running into this defense a lot. Just because you disagree with the President, the Liberals assert that you must hate him personally, and thus all your criticisms are from an emotional basis rather than a factual basis.

And if you persist they suggest that because you hate Obama, then you are probably racist too.

Of course idiots who suggest I might be racist haven’t seen the color of my skin lately.

[VeniVidiVici]

But there is also concern over the perception that the United States overhauled its defense strategy in part to appease Moscow

Yup. Obama and the Democrats are just the most recent in a long line of appeasers.

[Frantzie]

Huh? They were stopped at Vienna and the Holy league pushed the Ottoman Turks back to Turkey.

Supposedly they had better weapons or at least sappers (underground miners). After that, western europe’s weaponry advanced rapidly.

It was pretty tough for Poland to keep pace with Germany’s rapid pace of innovation in weaponry. The U.S. and UK could barely keep up and arguably did not keep up.

The point is Islam does not like Poland and someone bows to Islam.

[TigersEye]

It hardly seems to matter anymore that Poles had long been leery of hosting U.S. missile interceptors aimed at defending against long-range threats from Iran.

No kidding. The U.S. did a lot of arm twisting to work out an agreement with the Poles that we could both live with. Then flap-ears came along and unceremoniously dumped it without the least bit of diplomatic wheel greasing.

0bama is a jackass!

[Lmo56]

>> United States overhauled its defense strategy in part to appease Moscow

In PART?

If I were Poland (or the Czech Republic) I’d be pissed at US too.

I’m ashamed. That’s not how you treat allies, especially ones living in Putin’s shadow who have already been through Soviet hell.

***

Poland and the Czech Republic wanted a corps of troops between them originally - that wasn’t feasible, so GWB got them to agree to the missle shield ...

Now, this CLOWN pulls the rug out from under them ...

I’d be pissed too ...

[WoofDog123]

“Germans, Poles, South Koreans and lots of others have been demonstrating for decades against the US military presence in their countries, claiming they want us out.”

I will admit to some curiosity about how many ‘decades’ the US has had a military presence in Poland. Did we share bases with the Soviet forces there, or use the lot across the street?

[Sherman Logan]

Point well taken for Poland.

My more general point is that many countries claim they want US out until we actually look like we might be leaving.

[Overtaxed Patriot]

Yep. We’re well into WWIII.

[ronnyquest]

While I sympathize with Poland and the Czech Republic, it wasn’t US who canceled the missile plans. It was our Marxist-in-Chief. He’s to blame. The American people (the REAL Americans) would never abandon our allies, nor alienate them; it’s the Marxist and his cronies all the way.