Vol. 71/No. 26      July 2, 2007

The G8 is comprised of the world’s most powerful imperialist states—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States—plus Russia.

Washington has been working out plans to place an anti-missile radar system in the Czech Republic and missile interceptors in Poland, arguing that this is necessary to counter warheads potentially launched from Iran. The worldwide anti-missile system Washington is putting together with its allies would actually provide the U.S. rulers with first strike nuclear capacity.

Putin had previously criticized Washington’s plans to place radar and interceptors in Eastern Europe. He threatened to point Russian missiles towards Europe for the first time since the end of the Cold War.

At a meeting with U.S. president George Bush at the G8 summit, however, Putin proposed that the United States use radar in Gabala, Azerbaijan, which is jointly operated by Russia, for its anti-missile system instead of building radar in the Czech Republic. Bush said the idea was “interesting,” while making clear Washington will go ahead with the Czech and Poland sites.

Stephen Hadley, U.S. national security adviser, said Putin’s proposal for use of the Azerbaijan radar base was a “contribution” to the broader system.

“The offer raised the prospect of unprecedented military cooperation between the U.S. and Russia,” noted Andrew Ward in a news analysis article in the June 8 Financial Times.

After the discussion with Bush at the summit, Putin also made clear that Moscow would no longer consider retargeting its missiles at European sites. Using the radar station in Azerbaijan, “will create necessary grounds for common work,” Putin told the Washington Post. He added that the U.S. anti-missile system would now be able to cover all of Europe “without exception.”  
 
 
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