The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 72/No. 24      June 16, 2008

 
U.S. moves ahead on missile
‘defense’ system in Europe
 
BY OLYMPIA NEWTON  
The U.S. government is moving ahead with plans to install 10 missile interceptors in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic that would establish a missile “defense” system in Europe aimed at giving Washington nuclear first-strike capacity.

The system is part of establishing Washington’s ability to use its more than 4,000 nuclear weapons unchecked. Washington wants first-strike capacity against all the other world powers with nuclear arsenals. It also want to terrorize countries like Iran and north Korea whose governments do not bow to Washington’s dictates.

U.S. officials have said activation of the sites in Poland and the Czech Republic would be delayed until there is an “imminent threat” from Iran. Of $60 billion President George Bush requested be spent on the missile defense program over the next six years, $10 billion is specifically earmarked to target Iran.

After successfully testing the system in the Pacific, Washington has pushed to establish a missile “shield” in Europe. The White House claims Iran is developing ballistic missiles capable of striking Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and possibly other NATO powers. Most of the 28 countries that have ballistic missiles today have only short-range Scud missiles, which travel less than 300 miles—too short to hit the United States but within range for many U.S. allies.

The plans have drawn criticism from the governments of Russia and China. “New elements could be added to this small component,” said Russian general Yevgeny Buzhinsky May 27, “and we will have an entire web of antimissile sites around our borders.” Buzhinsky said Moscow would take “asymmetrical” steps to match the installation of any U.S. antimissile technology in Poland and the Czech Republic.

At a May 24 summit in Beijing, Russian president Dmitri Medvedev and Chinese president Hu Jintao issued a joint statement condemning Washington’s pursuit of a missile shield “in certain regions of the world.”

Russia has more than 660 missiles capable of striking the United States; China has about 20. As of 2002, the last year for which data was available, the United States had 1,700 nuclear warheads deployed on intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have a range of 3,400 miles.  
 
 
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