Excellent! The US has spent alot of time cutlivating allies in the former warsaw pact countries. This really underscores the move towards basing our forces in these countries. The economies of Germany etc will have to absorb the loss of our bases.

No doubt that if they are going base interceptors there, I can't imagine not allowing more bases etc. This underscores the principle that the missile shield is to protect aginst rogue nations and will also help to extend that shield to Europe. These countries have not forgot the US contribution to winning the cold war (Sorry my nationalism got the best of me)

Why should we have to pay for something on thier own territory!

Originally posted by Murcielago
Why should we have to pay for something on thier own territory!

uhh.. because it's ours*?

-koji K.

*using "ours" to mean american.

[edit on 13-7-2004 by koji_K]

Originally posted by Murcielago
Why should we have to pay for something on thier own territory!

Because it benifits both us and them. We get forward deployed protection for ourselves in return for protecting the country we put them in. In this situation, everyone wins (except Russian nationalists).

I say we let the Russians have the missile system for free and let them set them up where ever they want. That way they will know we have no ill will towards them, and our NATO-Russia missile defense shield will be even more powerful. Then states like North Korea and Iran won't seem so threatening......

There is too muchclassified and sensitive material to just give to the Russians, not to mention it would degrade our national defense. Think about it, if they had the system, they could then sell it to whomever they wanted, such as China, NK, anyone in the middle east ect ect ect.

You have much too optimistic a view of Russia. Are they the enemy/threat they were 15 years ago? No. Do they represent the greatet millitary threat to the US? Absolutely. You don't just give soething like this to your biggest rival.

Originally posted by Pyros
I say we let the Russians have the missile system for free and let them set them up where ever they want. That way they will know we have no ill will towards them, and our NATO-Russia missile defense shield will be even more powerful. Then states like North Korea and Iran won't seem so threatening......

Technolgy transfer would be brutal from the kill vehicles to the X-band radar. The Russian government out of neccesity is selling off its technology for hard currency. I would not want that tech to get out.....