US might delay missile defense
Updated: 2007-10-23 22:49
Much of the disagreement between Washington and Moscow over missile defense in Europe has centered on the question of when Iran's missile program would reach the stage where it could threaten all of Europe and the United States. The Russians say that is a far-distant prospect; the Americans say it is coming soon.
Gates described a related proposal to the Russians that might mean permitting a Russian presence at US missile defense bases, including at the Polish and Czech sites. He said this was presented to the Russians in the interest of making as transparent as possible to Moscow how the missile defense sites operate.
Asked whether having Russians on his territory would be acceptable to the Czech government, Topolanek pointedly declined to say. "No comment," he said through an interpreter. Prior to the breakup of the Soviet empire, Czechoslovakia was part of the Warsaw Pact that opposed the US-led NATO alliance.
Gates stressed that any proposal that involved allowing a Russian presence on Czech soil as monitors or inspectors of the radar site would be presented first to the Czech government and would not be negotiated with the Russians unless the Czechs agreed. As he said this, Topolanek nodded his head affirmatively.
Earlier Tuesday, Tomas Pojar, deputy minister of foreign affairs, told US reporters traveling with Gates that his government's support for the defense plan is based not only on a shared worry about future missile threats but also a "moral, historical" sense of appreciation for American support for Czech democracy.
He also stressed that Prague does not intend to rush a deal, and he predicted that it will be difficult to win approval in parliament.
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