Gates lashes out at critics of new U.S. missile plan for Europe
U.S. Sec. of Defense says plan not a concession to Russia; new plan to counter Iranian missile threat.
By Reuters Tags: Iran Russia Israel newsU.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday lashed out at critics of a new missile defense plan for Europe and insisted it was not a concession to Russia, as some charge.
Gates, a Republican who served in senior positions under former President George H.W. Bush and his son, former President George W. Bush, wrote in an opinion article for the New York Times that the criticism of the plan is misguided.
"I believe this is a very pragmatic proposal. I have found since taking this post that when it comes to missile defense, some hold a view bordering on theology that regards any change of plans or any cancellation of a program as abandonment or even breaking faith," Gates said.
The objective of the missile plan is to counter the threat of missile attack from Iran, not Russia.
The Bush plan was intended to intercept long-range Iranian missiles, but Iran has yet to develop long-range missiles and U.S. intelligence recently determined that Tehran is unlikely to have such missiles until between 2015 and 2020.
As a result, Gates changed the plan to counter the possibility of short- and medium-range missiles.
Moscow had protested the Bush plan because it would be based in the Czech Republic and Poland. Leaders in the Czech Republic and Poland had found comfort in the Bush plan because they saw it as some protection against nearby Russia.
Under Obama's new plan, the United States would initially deploy ships with missile interceptors and in a second phase would field land-based defense systems.
Since the plan was announced, Gates has been taking fire from Republicans as well as many military analysts. Democrats and arms control experts have welcomed the plan.
Senate John McCain, ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the new plan "misguided" and said it was a concession to Russia and an abrogation of an agreement between the United States, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Gates, however, said it was "a better way forward" and argued that Europe will still have missile defense under it. He said it was a distortion to call the new plan "some sort of concession to Russia."
"Russia's attitude and possible reaction played no part in my recommendation to the president on this issue. Of course, considering Russia's past hostility toward American missile defense in Europe, if Russia's leaders embrace this plan, then that will be an unexpected -- and welcome -- change of policy on their part," he said.
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. |
| Photo by: (Reuters) |
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Bush declared it was a system against future Iranian missiles, not against Russia. That the radar system would swap entire Russia 24/7/365 he did not mention. The Russians have been right all the time to see through this stupid smokescreen and to regard it as agression pointed to them. Chechia and Poland declared from the start it (also) was protection for them against Russia and thus annoying the Bush administration. The EU saw it as wild, provocative (no consult with other member states) and immature macho behavior from the upstarts from "the new Europe", Chechia and Poland, and basically not acceptable. We are very very pleased here in Olle' Europe and do thank the Obama administration for a sound and wise decision. The Chechs and Polish are off the hook and are luckily now learning in which Union they are a member.
The US has already borrowed almost a trillion dollars to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are borrowing hundreds of billions more to pay for 'defense' that defends against nothing, or exists to meet a threat that no longer exists. The USA spends about what the next 50 nations added together do. We are buying financial ruin instead of defending ourselves. Gates is doing what he can to cut useless programs who's only purpose is political pork. The Soviet Union is gone. All the histrionics in the world cannot justify deploying systems which have never met the need they were intended to counter. It is worse than pointless, it is insane. The US has been twice defeated in recent years by ill-armed but determined militia. . . And the only way that they could be beat by the Mid-Course Missile Defense is if they fell in the holes the missiles are placed in. A decade of insanity has left the USA in no position to entertain such any further. Gates is right.
Now..now, the USA is not cowering to Moscow only correcting a mistaken foreign policy decision by Bush & Cheney. You're wrong about NATO wants Russia..it's the opposite Russia wants into the NATO alliance -- an alliance designed to stop Russia moving West. When did one good slap the USA stop Americans? We are hardly pesky mosquitos. Sec Clinton will not be curtsying at the Kremlin...and the Obama foreign policy is the best this world has seen in a decade. And as it applies to Israel and Palastinian conflict, everyone should be cheering and hoping for good results in 24 months.
'Israel does not plan to launch any strikes on Iran' - Israeli President Shimon Peres '... some hold a view bordering on theology that regards any change of plans ... as abandonment or even breaking faith' - US Defence Secy Robt Gates Well, if American plans regarding missile defence can change, so can Israeli plans for eliminating Iran's nuclear threat. Not only do I think Israel intends to attack Iran's nuclear sites, but I believe old Shimon Peres' words are nothing more than a smokescreen to mask that intent. And this encourages me. I grew up listening to Churchill warning Europe, and indeed the whole world, of the growing threat of the Third Reich and its allies. And I can see the world - save Israel - failed to learn that lesson; for here we are again, within a single human lifetime and memory, making the same terrible mistake. But not all is lost; for I can quote an Israeli saying, which yet gives me hope for a world returned to decency: "Never again!" MV
A U.S. missle defense n Eastern Europe is useless. Russia is too economically and militarily weak to get involved in any military adventure that would require an American missle defense system and as far as an Iranian missle attack on an Eastern European country such as Poland has lower probability of an occurance than getting bitten by a shark in your own bathtub. Any Iranian missles will be aimed at latitued 31,30N, longitude 34,45E.
There are much bigger world problems which require the US and Russia to act together! For example, saving the world from destruction...
Could one describe this affair as cowering, for the Russian Bear is quite furious over the US presence in its backyard, that is the Black Sea. The sea of course is not black, only the widows dressed in black, for the stormy seas can turn quite nasty. As in the case of Russia , they see the new US Administration somewhat similar as most see a pesky mosquito. One good slap is all it takes. Then again, NATO is begging the Russians to become partners in its alliance. The plastic reset button, is no more than a misguided form of acceptance that Russia is not to be trifled with. Mr.Gates, takes his orders from Mr.Obama. Soon enough Ms. Clinton will curtsy to the Kremlin. For something is quite amiss in current US Foreign Policy.