US Missile Shield in Europe Would Cost Billions, Probably Wouldn’t Work

Despite the growing harm being done to US-Russian relations by the proposed US missile defense system in Poland, Obama Administration officials maintain that it is vital to defend against the Iranian “threat.” But in addition to having cost over $144 billion since 1985, a growing number of reports put into doubt whether the system would [...]

Polish President Warns Obama Not to Abandon Missile Defense

Though Polish President Lech Kaczynski conceded that the planned US missile defense base was not vital “from the point of view of our security from so-called rogue states,” he demanded that President Obama go through with the deal signed by President Bush. Citing the reports that the Obama Administration was offering to abandon the controversial [...]

NATO Backs Missile Shield Over Russian Protest

NATO foreign ministers today praised America’s planned missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic as making a “substantial contribution” to protecting Europe from long-range ballistic missiles. The United States insists that the shield is primarily directed at the threat of long-range Iranian missiles, though both the missile base and the radar station are [...]

Georgia Blames Russia in Reported Shooting at Saakashvili Motorcade

After a reported shooting near a motorcade taking Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and visiting Polish President Lech Kaczynski to the Ossetian border, the Georgian government issued a statement claiming Russian soldiers fired the shots from 30 meters away. President Saakashvili said the attack was aimed at the two leaders, and underscored the “unpredictable people” the [...]

Gates Hits Out at Russian Missile Deployment

After a NATO meeting in Estonia, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates condemned Russian President Dmitry Medvedev over a plan announced last week to deploy missiles to Kaliningrad to counter an American missile defense base being constructed in Poland. Secretary Gates said the move, announced just hours after the US election, was designed to intimidate President-elect [...]

Obama Aides, Polish President Differ on Missile Defense Pledge

President-elect Barack Obama has spoken with Polish President Lech Kaczynski about the Bush Administration’s commitment to spend several billion dollars putting 10 interceptor missiles in Poland. The controversial plan is certainly a big deal in Poland, but contradicting comments from President Kaczynski and Obama aides leave the new administration’s commitment to the deal uncertain, at [...]

Russia Plans to Deploy Missiles Near Poland

In his first State of the Nation speech, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced his nation’s plan to counter America’s missile defense system being built in Poland and the Czech Republic. Iskander missiles will be deployed to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, as well as electronic jamming equipment. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack described the Russian [...]

Planned US Missile Defense in Eastern Europe Beset by Delays

US General Henry Obering is “very concerned” this week as Polish lawmakers still haven’t ratified August’s deal to host a US interceptor missile base in Northern Poland. The base, ostensibly aimed at preventing Iranian missile strikes but being built well outside of the range of Iran’s missile arsenal, will not see its first interceptor missile [...]

Russia Repeats Threat to Target US Missile Shield Sites

Russian General Nikolai Solovtsov suggested today that US missile shield sites in Poland and the Czech Republic could become targets for Russian ICBMs in the future. The general said Russia “is obliged to take corresponding measures” to ensure the credibility of its nuclear deterrent. The United States has long maintained that the shield is aimed [...]