Posted on 07/08/2008 12:20:08 PM PDT by Schnucki
Russia's foreign ministry has said it will be forced to react with military means if a US-Czech agreement over a missile defence shield is ratified.
The statement comes hours after the US signed an initial deal to base part of Washington's controversial missile defence system in the Czech Republic.
It said Russia would respond "not with diplomatic, but with military-technical methods" if the system was deployed.
Moscow says siting the system near its borders could weaken its own defence.
It has previously threatened to aim its own missiles at any eventual base in Poland or the Czech Republic.
Tracking system
The deal signed by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Prague on Tuesday allows a tracking radar base to be set up on Czech territory.
Speaking after signing, Ms Rice said that the US and its allies faced "a growing missile threat that is getting ever longer and ever deeper" from Iran.
The Russian news agency Interfax earlier quoted a senior Russian official as saying the deal "complicates" global security.
In talks on Monday, Mr Bush, attending his last G8 summit, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, attending his first, made little progress on the issue of the US missile defence system.
The plans remain unpopular in the Czech Republic and the US has also failed to reach agreement with Poland on placing other parts of the system there.
The missile defence system would include the tracking radar system in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland. The US wants the sites to be in operation by about 2012.
A second deal covering the status of US soldiers at the Czech base has not been agreed.
Czech opposition parties have strongly criticised the plans and are calling for a national referendum.
The plans would have to be approved by the Czech parliament, where the government would need the votes of the opposition parties to get them through.
Jan Majicek, of the No Bases Initiative, said that more than 100,000 people had signed a petition against the Czech base.
It’s good to see our Russian friends are back to their normal selves again.
As for the Czechs opposed to the missile shield, I’m sure they prefer Russian tanks in Prague. Oh, how they must yearn for the “good old days” of the Brezhnev Doctrine!”
Why are we providing defense for a foreign country? Our own border isn’t even sealed and we’re building a missile defense system in a foreign country?
Someone needs to remind the dumbshi* running Russia that he aint the emperor of the Soviet anymore.
Those tards cant even afford to float a single battalion in expeditionary mode anymore.
All they got’s a nukes and no clue if the unmaintained and unserviced pieces of crap will even launch.
Because the Cold War never ended.
This is a lot of hot air. The Russkies will do no such thing.
First of all, any missile shield would have to be considered a strategic asset of the US, and therefore any attack on it must be considered a direct attack on the security of the US;
Secondly, any Russkie missile strike into that part of Europe would be an attack on NATO;
Thirdly, why shoot your customers? Europe buys about two-thirds of Russia’s oil and gas.
Let’s make a deal with Putin... No EU missile shield, but they agree to kill the Iranian reactor.
I sure hope we’re keeping the illegal aliens out of the Czech Republic.
What would Count Floyd say?
Europe could be brought to it's knees in about a week without a shot being fired.
What would Germany do? Load up tanks for the very long drive to Moscow to demand gasoline? I don't think that plan would work very well.
“Why are we providing defense for a foreign country?”
It’s the first line of defense for our country. Kind of intense if missiles are already flying over Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
“Why are we providing defense for a foreign country? Our own border isn’t even sealed and we’re building a missile defense system in a foreign country?”
Because the Star Wars Part Deux Boondoggle Lobby gives better kickbacks as campaign contributions than Fence Builders of America.
Now it makes sense! We use the missiles to stop the illegal aliens! In the Czech Republic... from getting into the US... (?)
So instead we tell another country to take the missiles for us... assuming Russia would even want (and would actually go through with) to strike either counrty.
If the missile defense systems are supposed to work, why not build them here? Then we wouldn’t need a “first line of defense”. (Unless we already have them).
We are not, this is a "shield" protecting us from either Iran or Russia (take your guess).
Country allowing a system like this risks more than it gains. (Gains: more likely US visas and other US pork, risk, threats from Russia which is gaining strenght daily since THEY HAVE OIL and LOTS OF IT.
Get it?
I can think of lots of reasons....
#1. Any missile pointed at somewhere ESLE isn’t pointed at US.
#2. Most likely, not all of Russia’s missiles are operational (as already noted). Dispersing them is better than concentrating them at us.
#3. Better to kill a missile on the other side of the world (as already noted).
#4. What better way to keep other countries in respect (see fear) of us if they have no practical means of attacking us.
#5. Because there really is fear of rogue missile launches and the majority of those missiles are in countries in that part of the globe.
#6. etc.
Someone needs to remind the dumbshi* running Russia that he aint the emperor of the Soviet anymore.
Those tards cant even afford to float a single battalion in expeditionary mode anymore.
All they got’s a nukes and no clue if the unmaintained and unserviced pieces of crap will even launch.
Meaning they'll attempt to build a missile that our ABM system can't shoot down. No biggie. Happy spending, Pooty.
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