Raketenabwehrschilde

[Nightwatch]

Ja mei, das der Sozialarbeiter aus Chicago keine Ahnung von Geopolitik hat war ja kein Geheimnis.

Obama considers turning Israel into Europe's umbrella in the face of Iran

In light of Russian opposition, the Obama administration cancels plans to station ICBM interceptors in the Czech Republic and Poland, as was intended during Bush’s presidency. The alternatives: Israel, Turkey and ship based interceptors. Israel’s gain: A second array of U.S missile interceptors that will bolster Israel’s missile defense in the face of an Iranian attack. Analysts ponder: is the Israeli umbrella option the reason Obama has soften his stance regarding the settlements?


By Ran Dagoni

The U.S is examining using Israel as a base for the missile interceptor array, which will constitute Europe’s defense against Iranian ICBMs.

Israel is an optional alternative to the bases the Bush administration, followed by the Obama administration, had recommended to establish in the Czech Republic and Poland. According to estimates in Washington, the White House has decided to cancel the establishment of missile bases in Eastern Europe due to heavy opposition from Russia.

In addition to Israel, the U.S is examining the option of establishing missile interceptor bases in Turkey, the Balkans and/or using ship based missiles in the Mediterranean Sea.

Analysts in Washington said yesterday (Thursday), that should the Obama administration chose Israel as the site for the missile interceptor umbrella array that should shield Europe, it is clear that this has great added value to Israel: an array of U.S missile interceptors that would back the Arrow missile batteries and U.S interceptors that are already stationed in Israel in case of an Iranian missile attack.

The estimates that Israel may get integrated into the United State’s global missile defense array were formed due to a report by the Polish newspaper, the 'Gazeta Wyborcza' which was featured yesterday.
The report claimed that the U.S Departmen of Defense was asked to examine moving the missile interceptor array from Poland and the Czech Republic to Israel and other countries in the Mediterranean Basin.

“The signals that are sent by the generals in the Pentagon are very clear: when it comes to missile defense, the current administration in the U.S is looking for alternatives to the bases (planned) in Poland and the Czech Republic.”, writes the newspaper. A lobbyist named Ricky Alison is quoted, he is involved in the issue and took part last week in a conference in which senior members of the Department of Defense presented their plans to executives in the military industries of the United States.

“During the conference, the generals didn’t mention even once the original plan (by the Bush administration), that focused on Poland and the Czech Republic”, said Alison. “The new U.S administration pays more attention to Russia’s objection to these bases.

The Obama administration avoids unequivocally denying the report. As an answer to whether the White House will cancel plans to establish bases in the Czech Republic and Poland, the Assistant Secretary of State, Philip “P.J.” Crowley said: “I would define the report as incorrect. Our assessment of the missile defense strategy is ongoing and is yet to be done”.

A spokesman for the Department of Defense said that there has yet to be a final decision on whether to establish the bases in Eastern Europe or somewhere else.

Some analysts pondered whether Israel’s apparent potential as a strategic partner in the missile defense array has driven the Obama administration to soften its stance regarding the settlements issue. A senior U.S official, who spoke to journalists in Washington yesterday, said that there’s the possibility of renewing peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians without a complete freeze of the construction in the West Bank settlements.

The official, who asked that his name not be mentioned, said that it was more important that the extent of construction be accepted by Israel and the Palestinian rather than be accepted by the U.S.


“We don’t wish to argue if, at some point, one of the sides comes and says, ‘we didn’t get all that we wished for, but this is enough’” said the official. “If we acted this way, it would raise an obstacle in the way of the negotiations”.

These words point out a certain moderation in Washington’s stance, that until Israel’s PM Netanyahu’s meeting with the American envoy, George Mitchell on Wednesday, stuck to its demand for a total freeze of construction in the settlements.

Bush’s plan to establish an umbrella of missile interceptors over Europe, in Poland and the Czech Republic, was a source of much disagreement between the U.S and Russia due to Moscow’s sensitivity towards the establishment of Western military assets near its borders, in an area that was under its influence not so many years ago.

The Bush administration would reiterate that the missile interceptors were intended to prevent an Iranian missile attack, however Russia threatened that in case of war it would strike with nuclear warheads cities near which missile interceptors were stationed.

Unlike its predecessor, the Obama administration showed a cold attitude towards the missile umbrella. Officials in the government said that the cost of the project was too high and that its effectiveness is uncertain. Reports were already made that Obama was willing to cancel the plan to use the Czech Republic and Poland as sites for the missile interceptor bases in exchange for Russian support for U.S efforts to raise heavier sanction against Iran.

Poland and the Czech Republic were enraged over the possibility that the Bush administration may abandon the plan to build the missile bases in their territory and with it the flow of investments that was to follow. Conservative groups in Washington are also critical over the White House’s new policy.

“The cancelation of the missile interceptor array in Eastern Europe would be another step in the gradual withdrawal of the Obama administration from a global strategic leadership”, the Washington Times wrote this morning (Friday).

von <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/">http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/</a><!-- m --> über Mp.net

Oh the irony!

Wäre ich Netanjahu würde ich darauf sofort eingehen. Und Obama so dafür bluten lassen das er nicht mehr weiß wo ihm der Kopf steht.
Allerdings sei mal dahingestellt ob das bei den Abfangvekotren überhaupt technisch möglich ist.