The controversial US missile defence system in the Czech Republic and Poland

Last week Poland and the Czech Republic confirmed that they have commenced negotiations with the US for the construction of an American antiballistic missile defence system on their territories. Missile bases from which short to medium-range missiles can be fired are to be constructed in Poland. The system's radar installations are to be built in the Czech Republic. Ulrich Schmid reports that a debate about the pros and cons of the project has broken out in the two countries. "Warsaw and Prague are very much aware that military cooperation of this scale with the US will set a new precedent that will no doubt incur consternation in Russia... The respective governments led by Prime Minister Topolanek and Jaroslaw Kaczynski are well known for their pro-American attitudes, and they will be more inclined to go along with the Pentagon's wishes. That there are still concerns about the project in both Prague and Poland also has to do with the fact that even in the US the idea is controversial. This is the last remnant of the legendary defence strategy (dubbed the 'Star Wars' project) put in motion by Ronald Reagan which shocked and weakened the Soviet regime back in the 1980s."

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Central Europe, » U.S.
All available articles from » Ulrich Schmid

» To the complete press review of Wednesday, January 24, 2007