Anti-missile system in Poland? (Is it good for Poland?)

US defense experts suggest that an interceptor missile base be stationed on Polish soil. Poland has yet to say yes.

Polish Premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski says that if Warsaw agrees to a anti-missile shield on Polish soil, it should also serve as a security blanket for us as well. Premier Kaczynski thinks that Russia doesn’t see it as a threat for its own security, but that the shield would place Poland in a higher position in Europe.

“It is obviously the only reasonable explanation why Russia objects to the idea. It’s not being aimed at them. The Anti- Missile Shield is for rockets coming from the Middle East.”

Reports suggest that Washington is preparing a concrete proposal to start exploratory talks with Warsaw soon. Poland is the strongest ally of US foreign policy in Europe.

But Polish lawmakers argue that this doesn’t mean that Warsaw should surrender its sovereignty to the US. Polish Defense officials have gone on record saying that Washington would have to give Warsaw security guarantees before stationing anything foreign on Polish soil.

International defense expert Bartlomiej Weglarczyk from Gazeta Wyborcza says that Poland would have the upper hand if it would say yes to the US scheme

“This shield is a long range missile shield. It has nothing to do with Poland; it ‘s not to defend Poland so we should get something to defend ourselves. The Polish military has a huge shortage of short-range missile defense systems. Poland is the best location for the missile shield, so we can get a huge prize for our agreement to place the base in Poland.”

But Roman Kuzniar from the Strategic Defense Studies at Warsaw University disagrees with popular opinion. He thinks it would place Poland in danger of a possible terrorist attack.

“Obviously I am against it. We don’t need it. Nobody needs it. It is not a threat driven project. First it is going to endanger our security situation. It is going to put us at risk from the security point of view. Why because this American base can be come in the time of crisis an object of a hostile attack. There is no prize for the exchange of your security. What can we get in exchange visas?”

The US which already has an early warning system stationed in California and Alaska wants to extend its defense reach to Europe by 2011.

Of course you can’t characterize a person by desribing only one thing he or she did.

I voted for Anglea with a purpose - so don’t make me a lawyer of Schröder.

I called Schröder a reformer because of some reasons - as an example you could name the changes in german foreign policy that where made.

Before Schröder and Fischer it wasn’t possible for germany army to operate out of the center european area.

They changed the politics and structure and equipment of the bundeswehr they induced the founding of the KSK and they - surprisingly for most people - fullfilled their responsibilty to act in the huge global challanges we are facing today.

You will never understand what huge change this is for germany - I know. But I know that we are now deployed all over the world - discussing today about having a detachment in Helmand. Think 5 years back - noone knowing germany would have put a dime on that.

Second he lowered taxes for companies.

Third he restructured the social system cutting many benefits.

Socialist ? Maybe - but with quite a heart for the bosses (wich is why we know have a party left to Schröders SPD - with true socialists in it)

May they never win a single vote.

I am absolutely convinced that the plan to put missles in Poland is a deliberate move by someone in the U.S. military industrial complex to restart the cold war. Anyone with any knowledge of Russian mentality (or lack thereof) knows it would be viewed as a direct threat to Russia. It is in my view the most dangerous move that has been made since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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