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Europe
Poland Says It Has Agreed to US Shield
2008-02-01
Poland's foreign minister said Friday his country has reached an agreement in principle with the United States on plans to install a U.S. missile defense system in Polish territory. Radek Sikorski said that after his meetings with officials here, he is satisfied that, as part of the eventual deal, the United States will deal with security problems that Poland has raised.
IOW: It wasn't so bad after all, was it, big man?
Sikorski did not outline the terms of the deal, but in a joint appearance with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after a working lunch, the two officials suggested that the U.S. would help with Polish air defenses, as Poland had sought.
How 'bout the US keeps your air force by making sure it has a country left to defend? And other countries left to come to your aid should it be necessary?
Sikorski said that negotiators would continue to work on the details of an agreement that would allow the U.S. to install 10 interceptors as part of a long-range European missile defense system. He sought to address likely Russian concern about the U.S. air defense aid.

"The reinforced Polish air defenses are not directed against anybody," Sikorski said. "They are to enable Poland to be a stronger NATO ally with the United States, to enable Poland to take part in operations, in out-of-area operations, in joint operations."
Doesn't matter what you say. Pootie will use it to build nationalism and his power base.
Posted by:gorb

#12  I'm with Mike, too. I hope you didn't get the idea that I was against Poland. I'm against the appearances of distrust/agression that were being made against the US. I don't like waffling when waffling won't buy you anything. It's amateurish. The choice the governnent has is terrible on one side and uncertain on the other. I'd go for the uncertain without beating up on it like they were.

And yes, I hope the agreement does both sides good. Sadly, Poland has no options but to be the middle of the fray and everyone knows it. Including Pootie.
Posted by: gorb   2008-02-01 22:50  

#11  I really couldn't blame Poland for not jumping on the option. If the dhimocrats took power and scrapped the program, where would they be? Between a angry Russia and a anti-american western Europe. Not a great choice.

As much as I love the US, I'll be the first one to admit it makes a shitty ally as the political nature and will changes every 4-8 years.
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-02-01 22:10  

#10  It does rather make Iran's future toys useless, jds. Which means we don't have to listen to Europe going on when Iran tries to threaten them, and takes away an excuse for the EU to betray Israel. Besides, the Eastern European countries really have been standing up with us on Iraq, defying their putative EU masters.
Posted by: trailing wife   2008-02-01 21:57  

#9  Who are we defending with this deployment of resources? If it isn't the US, the Aussies or GB (and GB better be paying) then who? Europe? Screw em. Everyone else? Screw em too. The US takes WAAAAY too much responsibility in defending these ingrates. How about Europe defends itself or actually support the US in the middle east?

Some one explain please.
Posted by: jds   2008-02-01 21:50  

#8  Does Poland really worry about Russia?

They all do, gorb. There's an awful lot of history there, much of it under dung-caked Russian boots, and Vladimir Putin doesn't sound terribly different than the Tsars did in their many imperial moments. Look at the games Russia has been playing recently in their near-abroad, even as far as Latvia.
Posted by: trailing wife   2008-02-01 19:38  

#7  Thank you, Poland.
Posted by: Seafarious   2008-02-01 18:09  

#6  I'm with Mike - now we have to back it up - relocate bases to Poland if they agree
Posted by: Frank G   2008-02-01 17:35  

#5  Pfff. They picked the "right" side to ally with in WWII, and what did it get them? France and England declared war on Germany, then sat and did nothing behind the Maginot line while Germany ravaged Poland with help from Russia. They got royally screwed, and it's a big leap of faith to ally with an even more distant partner.
Posted by: gromky   2008-02-01 17:26  

#4  I wish they'd just pick the right side and stop hedging their bets.

I think that's what just happened. Besides, since Poland gave us Thaddeus Koziusco, Lech Walesa, the Warsaw Uprising, and the guys that first broke the Enigma code, I figure we owe them some slack at least.
Posted by: Mike   2008-02-01 16:56  

#3  Just feedin' it back, Mike. Their words weren't so nice when they grabbed the reigns, then they do this about-face thing while trying not to make it look like an about face. I'm tired of the US taking these kinds of hits for political purposes. I wish they'd just pick the right side and stop hedging their bets. That kind of politics starts world wars.

This seems like a no-brainer to me. Does Poland really worry about Russia? Even if Poland rejected the missile shield Pootie would find another excuse to build military power. And if some kind of war starts, Poland will have to pick sides then. And it doesn't make sense to side with Russia, or smooth the path for them to go to war in the first place. They'll either fight for Russia and get the $hit kicked out of them and lose, or side for the US and maybe get the $hit kicked out of them from the other side, but eventually come out on the winning side.

You can tell I don't have much respect for politics based in fear. I know there are times it is necessary, but this just doesn't seem necessary in this situation by any means. It seems more corrupt.
Posted by: gorb   2008-02-01 16:38  

#2  A few Patriot batteries is nothing. I would rather have seen an offer to move US forces from German training areas to the huge abandoned Soviet bases.
Posted by: ed   2008-02-01 16:28  

#1  Gorb,
With respect, I think you may be a little hard on the Poles here. They still sit far closer to the Soviets Russians than we do, and he's got an anti-American consituency just like everybody else does. He's taking a genuine risk - given the way the USSR seems to be coming back, do you think it's out of the question that 'patriotic Poles' (supported by Russian money) could start raising hell? I don't think there was ever any real question that the Poles were going to say yes, if only to poke it to Pootie. Sikorski just made sure that it was going to be worth their while.

Mike Kozlowski
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2008-02-01 16:15  

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