NATO has confirmed the operational status of the US-built missile defense system in Europe, and announced today that it will take direct control over it, putting US ships involved in the operation under direct NATO command and control.
The shield was a long-term plan, which began under the Bush Administration, nominally to target Iran. The assets are positioned in places far outside the range of Iran’s best missiles, which led to Russian complaints that they are the real target. Though the US denied this publicly for years, during the activation of the system they were talking it up as a show of force against Russia.
The transfer of control to NATO came at the behest of several European members, particularly France, who objected to the idea of the US retaining full control over such a controversial, and Europe-centric, system.
Indeed, some nations appeared to be concerned that the US retaining the shield would be more likely alienate Russia, and saw the transfer as a “compromise,” putting the system under alliance control, and meaning European nations with a lot more to lose in a further escalation with Russia would have more say over the shield’s use.
“Only” for Blackmail ?
One real anti-missile system in Poland and also one in Romania. It was part of the massive propaganda against Iran by the Bush administration. The biggest crime of all is that it was built under Obama’s watch. Even worse is that they knew Iran was not working on Nukes and this article points out that Iran doesn’t have the technical capability to reach most of Europe with missiles.
You seem to be saying that Obama is worse than Bush2. If that’s so then I would like to know what motivates you to say that. You probably know by now from my posting here what I’m thinking. In any case, from the prespective of the rest of the world, it’s pretty far out thinking.
Personally I don’t consider Obama “worse” than Bush 2. He pretty much has served Bush 2’s third and fourth terms in many respects.
Bush 2 negotiated a Status of Forces Agreement calling for US withdrawal from Iraq, and Obama honored that agreement instead of voiding it. Good for him. Of course, several years later, the US is back in Iraq, and in Syria, and the Afghan war has now dragged on for nearly 15 years, and the US has overthrown the government of Libya, and is backing the overthrow of the previously uncontested regime in Syria, etc. And Obama has articulated and practiced a doctrine under which he’s allowed to have people (including Americans) assassinated without due process.
It would really be pretty much a coin toss. I was happy to see Obama elected in 2008 because the Republicans deserved a spanking for their bad foreign policy. I was disappointed that Obama continued and expanded on that policy.
Well said Thomas, and I can relate to that one. But I’m going to offer a rational defense of Obama anyway, in the hope that it can improve our relations, for one reason. But for other reasons too. It won’t be detailed but it will be meant to challenge your (our) readers.
Obama is but one man in government and has been delegitimized and defanged by your congress to the point at which he has not much more power than any other man or woman in government. You offer the explanation why that is if you think it’s appropriate. You know my contention is that Obama prevented all-out US led war in Syria and that he has now made it impossible for his country to do such.
As to assassination of Americans without due process, with the use of drones, you’re presumably thinking? Lots of Americans have been assassinated by other modern and more efficient weapons of war by all the other presidents. Are you suggesting that terrorists who are Americans deserve special treatment? Would Canadians fit into your privileged category? How about Iraqis? How about Syrians?
For the record, and to cover my ass when it’s probably going to be necessary, I don’t think that anybody should be killed without due process. Actually, I’ve just finished saying that on another page.
I have no edit button so I can’t add: War in Iran is nearly impossible now because Obama didn’t take measures to prevent the agreement from happening. Hillary wouldn’t have allowed that to happen and neither would have Trump. Evidence for Obama’s complicity in that crime against his own country is in the number of condemnations he’s received for doing just that. The voices of the Republicans and especially the tea party speak loud and clear to that truth. He’s as much as a traitor to his own country!
“Obama is but one man in government and has been delegitimized and defanged by your congress to the point at which he has not much more power than any other man or woman in government.”
Except the de facto unlimited power to wage war without declaration by Congress and even without the absurdly minimal restraints incorporated in the War Powers Resolution, which he has declined to observe and which Congress has declined to enforce. This site being Antiwar.com and not, say, AntiObamaCare.com or AntiObamaGunPolicy.com or whatever, that’s really the only power that matters for our purposes.
As far as use of drones is concerned, I’m opposed to seeing anyone killed by one (with or without “due process”), but the assassination of particular individuals per executive decree is an escalation of presidential power, and the extension of that policy to Americans is yet another escalation of said power, for the simple reason that the US has historically treated war against non-Americans as an extra-constitutional activity (I don’t have to agree that that’s proper to recognize the history).
The US can propagandize it as showing that it’s not a negative overture toward Russia but we know that’s just bullshit. Nato “is” the US and exists for no other real reason other than Nato being a legitimzer of US planned wars.
A plan to destroy this world in thermonuclear holocaust has been extant for several decades. It has now gone operational. The goal is to encourage and allow for the greatest number possible of nuclear bombs to be launched by the greatest number of nuclear nations possible so as to obliterate all life on this planet.