CNN: US Scraps Missile Defense Shield Plans

[AsburySkinsFan]

US Scraps Missile Defense Shield Plans

The United States has suspended Bush-administration plans for a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, officials from both countries said Thursday -- a move likely to please Russia, which had fiercely opposed the plans.

A U.S. delegation held high-level meetings Thursday in both Poland and the Czech Republic to discuss the missile defense system. While the outcome of the meetings wasn't clear, officials in both countries confirmed the system would be scrapped.

Czech Prime minister Jan Fischer said in a statement that U.S. President Barack Obama told him in a Wednesday phone call that the United States was shelving its plans. Fischer did not say what reason Obama gave him for reconsidering.

A spokeswoman at the Polish Ministry of Defense also said the program had been suspended.

"This is catastrophic for Poland," said the spokeswoman, who declined to be named in line with ministry policy.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Gen. James E. Cartwright, who is vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday morning. The Defense Department has not announced what will be discussed, but Cartwright is the point man for the missile defense shield program.

Poland and the Czech Republic had based much of their future security policy on getting the missile defenses from the United States. The countries share deep concerns of a future military threat from the east -- namely, Russia -- and may now look for other defense assurances from their NATO allies.

"At the NATO summit in April, we adopted a resolution focusing on building a defense system against real, existing threats, i.e. short-range and medium-range missiles," Fischer said. "We expect that the United States will continue cooperating with the Czech Republic on concluding the relevant agreements on our mutual (research and development) and military collaboration, including the financing of specific projects."

By contrast, Russia may view the move as a diplomatic victory after complaining about the program consistently for years.

There was no comment Thursday morning from Russian officials. But the issue has been a sore point in relations between Washington and Moscow, with Russia believing the shield would ultimately erode its own strategic nuclear deterrent.

With the program scrapped, it opens the way for Russia to join with the United States in taking a harder line on Iran, CNN Correspondent Matthew Chance reported from Moscow. The United States cited the perceived nuclear threat from Iran as one of the key reasons it wanted to install the missile shield in eastern Europe.

The United States proposed the plans under then-President George W. Bush, but since taking over this year, the Obama administration has been reviewing whether to move ahead with them.

"There's been no public announcement on our review of what will best secure our European allies, and ultimately as well as the U.S., from potential capability Iran may possess in the future," U.S. Vice President Joe Biden told CNN's Chris Lawrence in Baghdad, Iraq, where he is on a brief trip.

Biden, who said he is "deeply" involved in the review, added that the United States is now "fully capable and secure" in dealing with any potential Iranian threat.

"The whole purpose of this exercise we are undertaking is to diminish the prospect of Iran destabilizing that region of the world," Biden said. "I am much less concerned about Iranian potential -- they have no potential at this point -- to launch a missile that can strike the United States of America."

The United States proposed the plan under then-President W. George Bush; the Obama administration has since been reviewing the plan. The missile shield issue came up in July during a meeting between Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow. Obama maintained that Russia had nothing to fear from such a system, which would be designed to intercept a solitary missile from Iran or North Korea, as opposed to "a mighty Russian arsenal."

[Kilmer17]

I read this to mean-

"The US has completed their missile defense shield and doesnt want anyone to know about it."

Similar to SDI

[AsburySkinsFan]

I read this to mean-

"The US has completed their missile defense shield and doesnt want anyone to know about it."

Similar to SDI

Based on??

[Kilmer17]

Based on??

My lack of trust in the honesty of our govt.

[Corcaigh]

Hitting a missile is extraordinarily difficult but after many billions of dollars THAAD has demonstrated it can work ... against a single (or a few) missile(s).

No-one is working on a shield to stop a thousand missiles or decoys. If the former Eastern block is concerned of a Russian attack, then US system wouldn't help them.

The CNN title would be more clear if it said that the US is scrapping plans for deployment in Poland and Czechoslovakia,

[ajlaird82]

Who cares about this. Those countries should be taking care of themselves. I am sooooo sick and tired of us trying to play world police. This is exactly why other countries hate America. We should have had Ron Paul become president so that we can fix ourselves before trying to help out others.

[zoony]

In a cost saving measure, the US Government has instead decided to give everyone in Poland a fire extinguisher

[Thiebear]

The Libertarian in me rejoices at the stoppage of the constant coddling of Europe.

Though if you make a promise... keep it or offer something else.

The Laser is the 747 that can hit missiles is the way to go.

Sell it to them.

[Larry]

Who cares about this. Those countries should be taking care of themselves. I am sooooo sick and tired of us trying to play world police. This is exactly why other countries hate America. We should have had Ron Paul become president so that we can fix ourselves before trying to help out others.

Actually, I've had my own kooky theory about why we were even talking about spending Really Big Bucks to defend such crucial allies as Poland and Czechoslovakia.

My theory is that it's a lot easier to shoot down a missile when it's in the "boost phase" of it's flight, than it is to hit a warhead when it's on it's way down. The missile is a much bigger target, it's much more fragile (being loaded with burning rocket fuel and stuff), it's moving slower, it's a singile missile as opposed to a dozen MIRV re-entry vehicles, and it's got flame shooting out the back of it which is much easier for a sensor in the nose of the anti-missile to see.

But, in order to shoot down a missile during the boost phase, you have to be a lot closer to the launching point.

In short, ever since I heard about this silly-sounding idea, I'd wondered if it was simply a cover story, to justify the US setting up missile firing positions which were there, not to protect a country which Russia has already proven they can conquer without using any missiles at all, but to protect the US from just-fired, long-range, missiles.

Just an idea.

[Corcaigh]

Just an idea.

Or you could have a boat.

[Stadium-Armory]

Here's the deal (and its genius by the way). We never intended to give the Cheks or Poles the missle defense shield. It was a shrewd ploy by the Bush administration, and executed by the Obama administration. We put it out there a few years ago, and it became a chip to bargain with. We let the Russians think they won a victory, when in fact we never intended to deploy it anyway. This is how the Russians need to be dealt with. They need to be allowed to think they've gained something. Saved face.

Our percieved conciliatory action will make it easier to gain their support for our actual agenda, which is containing the Iranian nuclear program.

[Larry]

Or you could have a boat.

I thought about that idea, too.

(I get most of my good ideas from Tom Clancey. )

It does occur to me that my vast knowledge of Soviet ICBMs says that their launch sites are most likely in Siberia, and they launch northward, which might mean that having anti-missiles in Poland would be about as useful as having them in Florida. That maybe a better place in which to site The Larry Shield would be somewhere North of Russia, or maybe Alaska.

[EBoz]

The Laser is the 747 that can hit missiles is the way to go.

Sell it to them.

It's actually a Boeing 707.

[Monte51Coleman]

In a related story, my neighbor just informed me that he will not pay the monthly service charge for monitoring my home alarm.

[Mickalino]

In a related story, my neighbor just informed me that he will not pay the monthly service charge for monitoring my home alarm.

So, will you be getting a Samurai Sword, instead ?

[Thiebear]

It's actually a Boeing 707.

On August 10, Boeing and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency were finally able to demonstrate that the US$1.1 billion Airborne Laser (ABL) program actually works. The ABL aircraft, a modified Boeing 747-400, took off from Edwards Air Force Base and located, tracked and fired on a target missile. Although a surrogate high-energy laser was used – rather than the megawatt-class laser that will ultimately arm it – instrumentation on the target verified the hit.

Sorry, please try again.

[Monte51Coleman]

So, will you be getting a Samurai Sword, instead ?

No, I'll be getting a new neighbor. :security:

[EBoz]

Sorry, please try again.

Sorry to get off topic here but the picture you posted is certainly not a 747. Like I said the aircraft in the picture you posted is a Boeing 707. Trust me I know because I worked on the E-3 AWACS for 8 years and it is a 707 airframe as well.

[NavyDave]

Who cares about this. Those countries should be taking care of themselves. I am sooooo sick and tired of us trying to play world police. This is exactly why other countries hate America. We should have had Ron Paul become president so that we can fix ourselves before trying to help out others.

So if you are against protecting the helpless then I guess you are also against giving people in other countries asylum here allowing competition with foreign markets and other Isolationist views.

But I'd guess you are against sending illegal aliens home.

[Stadium-Armory]

Who cares about this. Those countries should be taking care of themselves. I am sooooo sick and tired of us trying to play world police. This is exactly why other countries hate America. We should have had Ron Paul become president so that we can fix ourselves before trying to help out others.

I think that you are missing the forest through the trees.

We aren't trying to help other countries just for the sake of helping them. This isn't an altruistic endeavor. Whenever we engage in something like this, its because we have a goal in mind that is in OUR best interest. In this case, we care less about helping the Checks and Poles, and more about negotiation, checking, and balancing Russian interestes. And this gives us the opportunity to do it in their back yard.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Not 747 (notice: no bump near the front of the fuselage for the 2nd floor indicative of a 747)

This looks more like a modified KC-135 or AWAC.

KC-135

AWACS

747

[EBoz]

Not 747 (notice: no bump near the front of the fuselage for the 2nd floor indicative of a 747)

This looks more like a modified KC-135 or AWAC.

That is exactly what it is. The KC-135 and the E-3 AWACS are both the Boeing 707 airframe.

[Larry]

Who cares about this. Those countries should be taking care of themselves. I am sooooo sick and tired of us trying to play world police. This is exactly why other countries hate America. We should have had Ron Paul become president so that we can fix ourselves before trying to help out others.

BTW, I missed something about your post when I replied to it, earlier.

Do you really intend to claim that the reason why other countries hate America is because we offered, at the request of Poland, at our own, vast, expense, to attempt to prevent Poland from being once again conquered by Russia?

[Larry]

That is exactly what it is. The KC-135 and the E-3 AWACS are both the Boeing 707 airframe.

That said, though, I do seem to remember seeing photos of a Big Honkin Laser built inside a 747, years ago. I'm assuming that they've "miniaturized" the thing.

[EBoz]

That said, though, I do seem to remember seeing photos of a Big Honkin Laser built inside a 747, years ago. I'm assuming that they've "miniaturized" the thing.

I'm not debating that at all. Wouldn't be the first time the media posted the incorrect picture. I was just saying that the picture that Thiebear posted was not a 747.