Russia criticises US missile plans, talks up alternatives

MISSILE DEFENSE

Czech gov't unchanged on missile shield after Iran report
The Czech government vowed Wednesday to press ahead with negotiations with Washington about hosting part of an anti-missile shield despite a US intelligence report downgrading the threat posed by Iran. "The US intelligence report will not influence the attitude of the Czech government in the face of further negotiations with the US over the possible installation of a radar station on Czech soil," the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement. The threat of a missile attack from "rogue states" such as Iran is frequently cited by Washington as the main reason for its missile defence shield project. The Czech foreign ministry stressed that the US report, released Monday, concerned Iran's nuclear programme and not the development of missile delivery systems, which it said was ongoing. "According to the report, Iran will probably be capable of producing a sufficient quantity of nuclear material for the production of a nuclear bomb between 2010 and 2015. "This corresponds with the previous estimates. By this date the European pillar of anti-missile defence should be in place," the statement said. The US plan calls for the installation of a powerful targeting radar in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland by 2012. The Czech centre-right government has already agreed in principle to site the tracking radar but the parliament must also give approval for a foreign military base on Czech soil. A decision on that is expected next year. Newly-elected Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, however, indicated on Friday that Warsaw would consult first with Russia, which has strongly opposed the plan because of security concerns. Vladimir Putin has compared the idea of setting up a missile system in such close proximity to Russia to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when the Soviet Union began deploying nuclear-capable missiles in Cuba.

by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Dec 5, 2007
Russian officials criticised the United States Wednesday for what one called an "unconstructive" approach to missile defence, while voicing hopes for cooperation on Moscow's own missile proposals.

The criticism came after a US intelligence report undercut US allegations about Iran's atomic goals, which have been a pillar of US arguments for building new missile defence facilities in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Russia has vehemently opposed Washington's plans for central Europe.

At a news conference, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov complained that Washington had gone back on an offer to allow full-time Russian monitors to be based at the Czech and Polish sites.

Lavrov said Russia was "disappointed at how ideas that appeared to be moving in a reasonable direction turned out on paper."

Interviewed by the Interfax news agency, a defence ministry advisor, Ilshat Baichurin, said that the United States had demonstrated an "unconstructive approach on a matter concerning the security of millions of European residents."

However Baichurin added that "at the ministry of defence there is hope that common sense will prevail and the United States will accept Russia's proposals."

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko went into more detail in an interview with the ITAR-TASS agency, praising cooperation between Russia and NATO -- of which the United States is a key member -- on "theatre missile defence."

Grushko implied that cooperation could be stepped up in this area, the development of systems to guard against shorter-range missiles rather than the strategic missiles envisaged by the proposed US system.

Such a system would have particular use in protecting peacekeeping missions, he said.

"Russia and NATO have made significant progress towards creating a single system that could be deployed against possible real threats rather than imaginary strategic ones," said Grushko.

"Russia is vigorously working with NATO on the missile defence problem.... We have a plan for creating a tactical theatre missile defence system that has all along been intended for protecting joint peacekeeping contingents," he said.

Grushko noted that Russia and NATO were to hold a ministerial meeting in Brussels on Friday.

Russia has vehemently opposed US plans to install a powerful targeting radar in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland by 2012, describing them as a threat to Russian security.

Washington insists the system would be directed against threats from "rogue states" such as Iran.

On Monday the US intelligence community said in a report that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and that US charges about Tehran's atomic goals had been overblown for at least two years.

The National Intelligence Estimate said however that Iran was still pursuing sensitive activities that could be a step towards nuclear weapons and was expected to have the technical ability to develop a nuclear weapon sometime between 2010 and 2015.

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MISSILE DEFENSE

Polish president at odds with new PM on Iraq: Tusk

Warsaw (AFP) Dec 5, 2007
Poland's new liberal prime minister, Donald Tusk, admitted Wednesday to holding divergent views from conservative President Lech Kaczynski on Iraq and the proposed US missile defence shield.

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