Rice urges Russia to drop Cold War logic
Friday, April 27, 2007
UNITED STATES Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Moscow yesterday to stop applying Cold War logic to Washington's plans to extend its missile shield into Europe, saying the system poses no threat to Russia.
Ahead of informal Nato talks in Oslo, Norway, she said the new installations, to include a missile interceptor bank in Poland linked to a radar in the Czech Republic, would be too small to endanger Russia.
"Let's be real about this," Rice told reporters after a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.
"The idea that somehow 10 interceptors and a few radars in eastern Europe are going to threaten the ... strategic deterrent is clearly ludicrous and everybody knows it," she said.
"The Russians have thousands of warheads," she said. "The idea that somehow you can stop the Russian strategic nuclear deterrent with a few interceptors just doesn't make sense."
Washington announced in January that it wants to base 10 non-explosive interceptors in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic, linked to a forward tracking system in the Caucasus, and wants the network operational by 2013.
The aim is to counter threats from "rogue states" like Iran, and to a lesser extent North Korea.
But the missile shield has still not won unanimity among the 26 Nato allies.
Some still disagree about the threat posed by Iran, others want Russia consulted more closely, and all are concerned that the shield's new footprint will not cover all members.AFP
Ahead of informal Nato talks in Oslo, Norway, she said the new installations, to include a missile interceptor bank in Poland linked to a radar in the Czech Republic, would be too small to endanger Russia.
"Let's be real about this," Rice told reporters after a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.
"The idea that somehow 10 interceptors and a few radars in eastern Europe are going to threaten the ... strategic deterrent is clearly ludicrous and everybody knows it," she said.
"The Russians have thousands of warheads," she said. "The idea that somehow you can stop the Russian strategic nuclear deterrent with a few interceptors just doesn't make sense."
Washington announced in January that it wants to base 10 non-explosive interceptors in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic, linked to a forward tracking system in the Caucasus, and wants the network operational by 2013.
The aim is to counter threats from "rogue states" like Iran, and to a lesser extent North Korea.
But the missile shield has still not won unanimity among the 26 Nato allies.
Some still disagree about the threat posed by Iran, others want Russia consulted more closely, and all are concerned that the shield's new footprint will not cover all members.AFP
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