Posted on 05/03/2008 7:36:12 AM PDT by Grzegorz 246
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has asked Congress for $20 million for military aid to Poland as it seeks to complete a missile defense deal.
The administration wants to build a European missile shield that would include a radar installation in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptors in Poland. Officials have been trying to reach a deal with the two countries before President Bush leaves office in January.
The U.S. is nearing a deal with Prague, but negotiations with Warsaw have lagged. The talks had been complicated by Poland's demand for help to upgrade its military in exchange for allowing the interceptors.
The request for money for Poland comes at a crucial time as the two sides are set to meet in new negotiations next week on the military aid question.
The Bush administration made its request public Friday as part of a larger budget document, but the document did not tie the money to negotiations with Poland. A State Department official, who asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, confirmed that the $20 million request was intended to allow it to satisfy the Polish demands.
The U.S. missile defense plans have become one of the thorniest issues in U.S.-Russian relations. Moscow opposes the U.S. plan to build part of its global missile defense system so close to Russian borders, arguing that it would undermine the Russian nuclear deterrent.
The Polish government argues that the U.S. security upgrade is necessary because Russia has threatened to target Poland with nuclear missiles if it should allow the interceptors.
The administration's request would have to be approved by Congress before the money would be made available. However, the request is a signal to Poland in the negotiations that it wants to accommodate at least some of Warsaw's conditions.
Polish officials have said they are looking for help to acquire air defenses against short- to medium-range missiles. Negotiators have asked for expensive Patriot 3 or THAAD missiles and have identified 17 areas of the Polish military that the United States could help modernize. Interceptors for the planned U.S. shield are for protection against long-range missiles.
What about protecting the US borders?
So true. The problem is a lack of illegal immigration threads on FR.
Protecting the borders would prevent the entry of sufficient numbers of exploitable workers to suppress wages to the satisfaction of the chamber of commerce .
Just change your names to ******dez, or **rez, or **mez and see how much money he sends.
OUtrageous isn’t it?
“The U.S. is nearing a deal with Prague, but negotiations with Warsaw have lagged. The talks had been complicated by Poland’s demand for help to upgrade its military in exchange for allowing the interceptors.”
Give Poland NOTHING.
I’m sick and tired of paying other sountries off. This will benefit THEM without is paying them off.
I don’t want my tax money being spent like this. Give me the money that I EARNED. Stop giving it as bribes to other countries. And secure our borders!
“Give Poland NOTHING.”
So host this crap in your own garden.
Poland has been one of our staunchest allies in the WOT. I have no problem eliminating aid to countries that continually stab us in the back, but Poland is not one of them.
Myopic thinking
20 million is chump change compared to the billions we waste on countries who hate us.
20 million is well worth the investment
Yes, show one of our staunchest allies the door because they want (A) something in return for their support and (B) realize that this move is incredibly unpopular, particularly with their most lovable of neighbors, and want some form of protection. $20 million? How much federal largess was spent in merely your congressional district last year? I’d say it is perfectly reasonable for Poland to expect something. If you treat your friends the same way when they ask something of you nmh, it must be a trifle one-sided relationship
I love the Polish people. They are in the middle of hell in Europe. There isn’t enough money to protect them from the people they are stuck between.
Thank goodness for the Polish. From King John III Sobieski in the 17th Century to John Paul II in the 20th, they’ve been doing more than their fair share to save western civilization and liberty.
For $20 million I can send Bush a picture of my haired ass. Looks like people here don’t get LOL in the topic.
“Just change your names to ******dez, or **rez, or **mez and see how much money he sends.”
Better yet, change those Polish names to Mohammed and Mustapha and Naji and Ali. After all, that’s who the Administration really hands our money over to, hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars. The problem with you Poles is that a) you are not Mohammedans and b) you are Roman Catholics but so close to Orthodox lands that maybe a little rubbed off on you and that, my friend, has been good enough with the American government to get you bombed and attacked by American financed Mohammedan jihadis since the 1990s.
Meant to ping #15 to you. Sorry!
Why isn't the self described biggest and wealthiest economy protecting itself?
Agreed. We gave Pakistan $300 million in military aid.
Nothing against Poland, but sheesh, c'mon. We're giving money, aid, and/or arms to every country with its hand out while WE are being invaded by the millions.
Something is FUBAR -- Our troops are protecting Iraq's borders (plural) while we're putting OUR own Border Patrol agents in Federal Prison for giving criminal illegal aliens a dirty look or for not saying 'Please'.
You may not understand the situation.
First of all, the missile defense site in eastern Europe will be positioned perfectly to conduct intercepts of Iranian missiles. That is why we’re looking for a site there.
Secondly, Poland, especially their special forces, have been an extremely active ally in the war on terror. Upgrading their capabilities will strengthen both our defenses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy-zyxhTJSA
Lastly, Poland is now a new member of NATO and they need to upgrade their military from the Warsaw Pact model. It is much better if they look to the US for these upgrades than if they feel compelled to look east.
Go ask Putin for the 20 mill
That is exactly right. The opposition to border security and true immigration reform doesn’t come just from “liberals.” Many pro-business groups most often associated with Republicans are working diligently to prevent us from securing our borders and adopting sensible immigration policies.
Those groups include the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Businesses and the National Foreign Trade Council.
Two separate issues and mixing them is self-defeating. The lack of border security comes from a lack of political and national will, not because we aid our allies militarily.
This shows a lack of understanding of how missile defense works. The missile defense site in eastern Europe will allow interceptors to be fired at Iranian missiles at an earlier point in their trajectory when they can be intercepted more effectively. The sites aren’t there just to protect Europe. They’re there to protect America more readily.
Works for me.
We’re not asking anyone for $20 million, we’re asking for $20 billion.
What?
Should be $200M, with the $ deducted from Germany’s and Saudi arabia’s military aid. Poland is one of our best and most pro-American allies. Far better than most of “old Europe.” Even with their limited resources, they have put “boots on the ground” with the US. If any European country is deserving of military aid, it is Poland!
It is very hard to ‘chase’ and intercepts a missile, so the interceptors are in the way of oncoming missiles, missiles headed towards Europe.
I could see the Iranians with a lot of luck, fielding a nuclear armed, Europe reaching missile with in ten years.
Do you want me to write that once again ?
Not unless you want to make the same mistake twice. The article YOU posted says "20 million". YOU also added to the headline "20 million". Am I missing something here?
That is complete nonsense. You know nothing of multistage rocketry if you believe that Iran is that far from fielding a missile capable of hitting the US. Either that, or you haven’t been paying attention. Iran now has a space program to launch satellites into space. Even the Russians admit that this is a bad signed when combined with Iran’s evasiveness on its enrichment program.
“The article YOU posted says “20 million”.”
Because that’s how “much” Bush’s administration wants to give, not how much Poland wants to get.
Everyone who is against this tiny expenditure of money is an idiot. There is no such thing as friends or allies in the real world. People (nations) only help you if it is in their interests to do so. Sometimes cash has to change hands in order to secure people's help. Poland is inclined to help us, but they needed a little extra encouragement :-)
It would also be helpful for people to lose the whole right vs. wrong in terms of geopolitics, and the whole labeling thing.
No one said here that the US was debted to anyone. That is a straw man. And the North Koreans aren’t the only source of technology for Iran. Underestimating a strategic threat involving nuclear and ballistic missile technology is positively Clintonian and Carteresque.
I’m all for such a defence system in Europe. We will surely benefit. What I’m asking myself though is where does the radioactive waste come down when a missile heading to the US gets shot down?
And now I'm way off topic :-)
The Iranians are not and will not be a strategic threat to the US for decades. But, if you want to babble on about it, go ahead. Anyways, back where I started, since Europe is the main beneficiary of this effort, I'm still wondering why the EU hasn't broken out the checkbook. What is it with this notion that the US taxpayer has to pay to attempt to keep the Iranians from dropping a nuclear weapon on a European city?
The EU seems to think that the Iranians are going to develop short range, nuclear/NBC/dirty armed missiles. Which oddly, our purposed interceptor system works against. But, um the Iranians will leave them alone. Later the Iranians will develop strategic, US reaching missiles and why should Europe get involved. I'm kind of the notion that as officially stated that this present system is for Europe reaching missiles. That the Iranians will pressure Europe. That this defense can only strength Europe against Iran. I see Europes complaints as a mixture of leftist delusion, or basically boiled down to 'yes protect us but pay us for you efforts'.
“since Europe is the main beneficiary of this effort”
Have you wondered why no one in Europe really wants to host It If that’s so great for Europe ?
LOL Then you really better get it from Pootie. I not sure the good ol USA can scrape that much together right now.
You may not understand the situation.
First of all, the missile defense site in eastern Europe will be positioned perfectly to conduct intercepts of Iranian missiles. That is why we’re looking for a site there.
Secondly, Poland, especially their special forces, have been an extremely active ally in the war on terror. Upgrading their capabilities will strengthen both our defenses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy-zyxhTJSA
Lastly, Poland is now a new member of NATO and they need to upgrade their military from the Warsaw Pact model. It is much better if they look to the US for these upgrades than if they feel compelled to look east.
I do understand that and understand it is to Polands advantage to have that in place as well. This iS WHY I find in galling on behalf of Poland to try to extort money from US. It certainly is not THEIR technology making this happen. They should be grateful not trying to blackmail us for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
“The Iranians are not and will not be a strategic threat to the US for decades.”
My God what a perfectly ridiculously ignorant statement.
This bothers the Russians no end as they tend to look weak and unable to protect their Mullah friends - nor Syrian allies.
whatever.
We gave aid to every European country under the Marshall Plan after WWII.
Poland, a country which made many contributions to the winning Allied effort, got zilch.
They are due. And it is money well spent. I will be very upset if we piss away our special relationship with Poland.
It’s no secret that many in our State Department have no love of Poland, because they are a very conservative country (i.e., they don’t kowtow to the Gay mafia).
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