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| Europe |
| Russia annoyed at Poland missile shield plan |
| 2005-12-02 |
| WARSAW (Reuters) - Russia is annoyed at Poland's plans to host a U.S. anti-missile system, a top Moscow general told a Polish newspaper, adding that such a space umbrella in central Europe would only make sense in a conflict with Russia. In what critics said was a diplomatic lapse, Warsaw's new conservative government said last month that it was considering hosting the U.S. anti-missile system, making public what had previously been a subject of discreet talks with Washington. "Of course (such a system) would be aimed against us," General Yury Baluyevsky, chief of Russia's general staff, told Gazeta Wyborcza in an interview published on Friday. "Rockets from other states would never fly to the West over Polish soil." "Including central Europe in the U.S. anti-missile system would strengthen it in case of a conflict with Moscow ... I don't expect a nuclear conflict between Russia and the West." The United States is investing tens of billions of dollars to develop the Missile Defense Initiative (MDI), which would use rockets to shoot down ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear, chemical or bacteriological warheads. Poland's ruling conservatives, who won September's general elections, regard the United States as the guarantor of security for Poland and want the NATO and European Union member to continue its close military co-operation with Washington. A former Polish foreign minister said Washington had asked Warsaw to remain discreet about the shield plans to soothe Russian concerns that the move would be aimed against Moscow. The debate about the missile shield coincided with Russia's decisions to ban the import of most Polish food products after reported irregularities in health standards and certificates. Warsaw officials say the trade row may be politically motivated. Baluyevsky said Russia had no plans to stop Poland from obtaining a rocket shield, saying: "What can we do? Go ahead build the shield, but think what will later fall on your heads." |
| Posted by:Flert Omomose3814 |
| #3 Russia is full of crap. They know that missiles coming from Russia would go over the pole not over Poland. The Polish bases would be used to stop missiles coming from the middle east. Most notably Iran, a big purchaser of Russian missile equipment lately. Bastards. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2005-12-02 19:36 |
| #2 Tells the general it's to protect the Russians from the Germans. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-12-02 15:35 |
| #1 Washington had asked Warsaw to remain discreet about the shield plans to soothe Russian concerns Not a big deal. It's not like the Russians wouldn't know about it anyway. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2005-12-02 15:29 |