Poland might withdraw from ABM shield project?

The official said the Civic Platform might also break off the outgoing government's negotiations with the United States on hosting a missile defense system on Polish soil unless Washington offered sufficient security trade-offs.

.............

The official did not say a Civic Platform-led government would stop negotiations on the missile shield, which the United States says can counter the danger of "rogue states" and which Russia calls a threat.

But he did say a new government would set tougher conditions for allowing interceptor missiles to be based in Poland.

Source

Recent elections in Poland have brought a change of government. The new government is not as eager as previous one about the ABM system placement in Poland. Are these just rhetorics? If not, this could slow down, or maybe even bury the whole project.

Good one Poland IMO!
What gives Bush the right to think that he is able to do this in the first place?
Want to defend America?Then put your ABM system IN AMERICA.
Poland is not America..
I am with the Russians on this one-this system is an offensive system masquerading as a defensive system.

US hints at missile shield delay

Robert Gates in Prague 23 October 2007
Mr Gates said Russian officials could be at the missile bases
The US may delay activating its Europe-based missile defence shield, Defence Secretary Robert Gates says.

Mr Gates said the US had put new proposals to Russia, which has strongly opposed sites for the shield being set up in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The defence secretary said activation could be delayed until there was "definitive proof" of a missile threat from states such as Iran.

US hints at missile shield delay

Could this have connection with possible change of Polish politics considering ABM?

[edit on 23-10-2007 by Duby78]

If this is connected,then I say DOUBLE good one Poland!
How inspiring it is to see a small country like Poland stand up against the USA,we in the UK have long since lost our ability to do the same..

The missile shield is bogus IMO..Its like having a gang of thugs living at the end of the street dictating as to what can go on in other peoples houses...

Well I am from Poland.
And I must say, that it's all about new government.
Lech Kaczynski and his government was pro-American, Civic Platform is more up to European Union.
ABM itself is only a political serve, that would cost my country pretty much. Too much, I think.

reply to post by JohnSnake


There is nothing better then having info from man 'in the field'!

If you wouldn't mind, would you please keep us posted about news concerning this ABM issue from your domestic sources? I would prefer to see what Poland has to say about this rather then just reading 'international' news. Thanks in advance, I hope you will keep us posted!

This is the best example of why we should base the interceptors meant to be deployed overseas in outer space instead. Basing at least part of the system in outer space would elimimate the vulnerability of the system to unforeseen political developments in a host nation like Poland or the Czech Republic.

reply to post by Duby78


Of course, no problem.
From what I've been reading:
Donald Tusk, the leader of a Civic Platform said, that USA-Poland relationship won't get worse - in ABM shield placing discussion.
But, he also said, that "friend-enemy" type of politics is not what new government want's so - relationship between Russia and Poland may and should be improved(Lech Kaczynski from Law and Justice party was more up to USA than Russia).
That means - ABM shield still may by placed, but propably it will happen if danger from countries like Iran will increase and if construction of ABM parts will have less impact on Poland's budget(so further discussions are still needed).
Well...for now that's all, I'll keep you informed as long as I can.

Here's the lastest official update I found in the press


Poland Seeks More US Security for Base
Saturday, January 12, 2008 4:11 PM EST
The Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Washington needs to provide more security for Poland if it wants Warsaw to host a U.S. missile defense base, the Polish defense minister said in remarks published Saturday.

Bogdan Klich, who will go to the United States Tuesday for talks on the program with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said a base would expose Poland to new threats, chiefly from terrorists, and it would be "very difficult" to persuade Poles to support the program without more security measures.

"We believe that the injection of Americans funds into modernization of our armed forces would balance the risk to our security linked to the construction of the base," Klich was quoted as saying by the Dziennik newspaper.

Washington has proposed the base as part of an international system it says will protect the U.S. and Europe from threats from so-called rogue states like Iran.

Under the plan, 10 missile interceptors would be based in Poland, and a radar station would be built in the neighboring Czech Republic.

But the proposal has angered Russia, which says an installation so close to its border threatens its security and has warned its missiles could target the base in Poland.

Klich said Poland wants a military cooperation agreement similar to those that Washington has with some other countries. It would be justified by the "unconditional" support that Poland has offered to the U.S. in recent years, including providing troops for the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath, he said.

"The Americans must be involved in the modernization of our armed forces, if we are to be a serious ally," Klich said.

He said Poland, which lost 21 troops in Iraq, feels "big frustration" over the "discrepancy between the declarations coming from the U.S. ... and the actual state of our cooperation."

Poles also have expressed widespread dissatisfaction over the lack of business contracts in Iraq, despite the country's involvement there, and about being kept out of the U.S. visa waiver program.