Missile Defense Back To Poland

Courtesy AP/Washington Post:

WARSAW, Poland -- Poland's prime minister said Wednesday that his country is ready to participate in President Barrack Obama's revamped plan for a U.S. missile defense shield in Europe.

Speaking alongside U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Donald Tusk welcomed the Obama administration's proposal for a missile shield that would replace a bulkier version previously planned for Poland.

"I want to stress that Poland views ... the new configuration for the missile shield as very interesting, necessary, and we are ready at the appropriate scale to participate," Tusk told reporters.

The Obama administration scrapped a Bush-era plan that would have put 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar base in the Czech Republic to intercept long-range missiles launched from so-called "rogue" states such as Iran.

Instead, the Obama administration has proposed a reconfigured system that envisions putting the U.S. Navy's Standard Missile-3 on ships and land-based versions in Europe. The Pentagon says the anti-ballistic missile is the most technically advanced and cost-effective way to counter Iran's anticipated arsenal.

So, we're replacing a proposed system that existed only on paper with a modified version of proven, tested anti-missile technology.  When coupled with the latest news from the nuclear discussions with Iran, this looks like a very good way to extend protection to Eastern European allies.

Comments

[Thomas Miller]

"When coupled with the latest news from the nuclear discussions with Iran, this looks like a very good way to extend protection to Eastern European allies."

Wes, is the negotiations where they lie, cheat and stall? Or is it the negotiations where Iran threatens Israeli with annihilation, kills dissidents and blames the US for suicide bombers? The progress with Iran has been so breath taking it's hard to keep up.

[SDiA]

Sooo... he's still second guessing himself. That' not at all what he was saying a month ago, and he's been backpeddling ever since the Polish outrage started to bubble. Add that to the furious reaction by the public following the discovery of Iran's secret nuke lair and duh... Obama needed to rethink his stance, he had no choice at that point.

I won't fall prey to the lame spin of him planning to revamp the system to one far superior that George Bush's (lol indeed). His administration made their decision, then reality hit him, then he had to change his position. How many more times should we expect this to happen? I personally don't think he can decide who our allies are.

[Dirk Diggler]

Its interesting to see how the conservative mind works here on this blog. When President Obama adjusts his strategy, the right blames him for "second guessing himself". We just lived through eight disastrous years of "stay the course/go it alone/bend them to our will" foriegn policy. I for one am very happy to see that we have a commander in chief that is willing to change course as the situation demands rather than sticking to an ill conceived predetermined ideology.

[Winston]

how the conservative mind works here

Here you appear to be more generous and gentlemanly than I could ever be.

willing to change course as the situation demands rather than sticking to an ill conceived predetermined ideology strategy WITHOUT REGARD TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S WORKING

Fixed that for you, Dirk.

[GrayRider]

Looks like the new plan may be better than the old one.

[wesmorgan1]

Sooo... he's still second guessing himself. That' not at all what he was saying a month ago, and he's been backpeddling ever since the Polish outrage started to bubble.

Actually, it's exactly what he was saying a month ago:

Plans for 10 interceptor missiles and a radar facility in Poland and the Czech Republic -- a key part of the military policy advanced by George W. Bush in 2006 -- will be replaced by a network of smaller, more modern missiles based on ships, and later on land. Obama and his top military officials said the decision was driven by an evolving assessment of Iran's capability and intentions.

While we're at it, it jibes with his comments during the Presidential campaign:

Early in his campaign, Obama pledged to "cut investments in unproven missile defense systems." But he later said he would support missile defense systems if they work.

"The biggest threat to the United States is a terrorist getting their hands on nuclear weapons," Obama said in the September 26 presidential debate.

"And we are spending billions of dollars on missile defense. And I actually believe that we need missile defense, because of Iran and North Korea and the potential for them to obtain or to launch nuclear weapons."

So, again, he shelved a plan that existed only on paper and replaced it with one that works. Doing so is completely consistent with what he said "a month ago," and it's completely consistent with what he said during the campaign.

[SDiA]

No, he hasn't done anything yet, so let's not give him a medal just yet. He's replacing a plan on paper with a plan in speaches. I know you trust every word that comes out of his mouth, but I prefer to remain skeptical, given the way this looks to many.

[kwAwk]

"No, he hasn't done anything yet, so let's not give him a medal just yet. "

Sorry dude, they already gave him the medal two weeks ago. :)

[BEEFCAKE]

I think that's what he was referring to.

[Tijuana]

"I for one am very happy to see that we have a commander in chief that (who) is willing to change course"

You didn't vote for John Kerry by any chance. Naw, tell me you di'nt.

[SDiA]

John who?

[Thomas Miller]

General Obama listening to Generals Pelosi, Reid, DailyKos and Dunn defers troop deployment over crazy plan put forth by nutty McCrystal and Petraeus.

[Winston]

Brigadier General Miller seems to betray a basic lack of understanding as to how civilian control of the US military works.

[kwAwk]

Tom impresses me as the sort who sends his Keith Olberman hate mail to Kos.

[Zoy Clem]

For this system to be effective, those ships will have to remain in the area they are protecting.

[adaptateur]

The new plan is quite interesting than old one, more NATO oriented, which is good, because it means there will be much less tension among the allies who have been complaining that Poland has been doing its own agreement with the U.S. outside of NATO.