Russia is very nervous about the defensive missile battery the United States has agreed to provide to Poland.
After all, the missiles will be just a little over 100 miles from Russian territory.
Russia sees this as akin to the Cuban missile crisis. When then-Pres. Kennedy stared Moscow down when it tried to install a battery of missiles on Cuba. A little under 100 miles from U.S. land.
Of course, it's not at all the same thing. The Cuban missiles were to be nuclear in nature. The Polish missiles conventional and defensive. Designed to retard an air attack from Iran.
But Russia is certain the United States will expand the deployment beyond rockets designed to shoot down those aimed at Poland. And will install weapons that are aimed at Russia. Moscow now says if that happens, Russia's response will reach "beyond diplomacy."
Here's a suggestion.
If indeed, the United States is only providing defensive weapons, why not give Russia access to the sites? All the missile sites.
Let the Russian military affirm for itself that no offensive weapons are being deployed. That the missiles offer no threat to Russian soil.
This would diffuse the situation.
If the U.S. and Poland are telling the truth, we all have nothing to lose and everything to gain by offering Moscow access.
1 comment:
Gary, you say "Russia is very nervous about the defensive missile battery the United States has agreed to provide to Poland."
This makes it sound as though Poland were knocking at the door of the USA begging for the Shield to be placed on her territory. You know very well that this isn't the case, but that Condy Rice has been touting this around and hoping that it would get taken up. Poland would probably have continued to provaricate about this had it not been for the recent events in Georgia. I would imagine that what happened to Georgia has brought home to them, a former satellite of the USSR, that it could happen to anyone, and that now they can see some benefits for them in risking having the Shield.
The somewhat indecent haste of this current administration to try and push through all their strategies, no matter what the cost, makes me feel that November can't come soon enough. Bush is quickly becoming your 'mad King George'!!
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