President of the United States, Barack Obama, told a large crowd in the centre of Prague, Czech Republic, Sunday, that as long as Iran poses a threat then the anti-missile defence system will go ahead.
“Let me be clear: Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran’s neighbours and our allies,” said President Obama, who was in Prague for the US-EU summit, which as part of his current European tour. “The Czech Republic and Poland have been courageous in agreeing to host a defence against these missiles. As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-effective and proven.”
The final part of the sentence is relevant and as such presents no new policy: the Obama administration is concerned that the system which would be installed - 10 interceptor rockets in northern Poland and the radar and guidance system near Prague in the Czech Republic - is currently unreliable and unproven.
His comments were not met with the enthusiasm that most of the rest of his speech got from the crown in Prague - latest opinion polls puts opposition to the anti-missile system in the Czech Republic at around 70 percent. Similar opinion polls in Poland show concern that the system would make the two central European countries terrorist targets.
The anti-missile system plans have angered Moscow, which thinks it is an example of aggression against Russia. Washington has always argued that the system is to be defence against “rogue states.”
The US and EU made a joint statement after the summit condemning North Korea’s attempts to launch a satellite at the weekend, an event the Pentagon described Sunday as being “unsuccessful”.
President Obama effectively laid out his administration’s defence policy on Sunday, where negotiating a reduction of nuclear weapons - 95 percent of the world stock is in the hands of the US and Russia - and stopping any new nations taking them up, is central.
Strong relationship
Apart from meeting with leaders of the EU 27 nation bloc - which the Czech republic is currently president of till July - President Obama held side talks with President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Obama described the relationship between Washington and Warsaw as “one of the strongest in the world.”
“Let me just say very briefly that the relationship between the United States and Poland is one of the strongest in the world. It's based not only on shared values, but also on the fact that, just to give you an example, in Chicago, my friends from Poland and the contribution they've made to our city is part of what makes America. So we have benefited from Polish culture and the Polish people and the outstanding Polish character,” Obama said before the meeting.
According to the two Polish leaders the two sides also discussed placing Patriot missiles on Polish soil, which would be serviced by a US base in Poland to strengthen Poland’s air defence. Climate change and the finance crisis were also topics on the agenda.
“President Obama was very well prepared for the talks,” commented Lech Kaczynski and added that he invited the US leader to visit Poland, the possible date of which is yet to be established. (pg)
source: PAP, AP