Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
International Herald Tribune
March 1, 2008 By Associated Press
WARSAW--American and Polish officials "made a good start" on Friday during high-level talks about how Washington could help to modernize the Polish military in exchange for the East European country's allowing a missile-defense base on its territory, a U.S. envoy said.
Stephen Mull, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs, said the two countries had "agreed to focus in particular on Poland's air defense, command and control and mobility needs."
"While we have much work to do on both sides to clarify the details of how we can work together on these issues, we made a good start today," Mull said after talks with Poland's chief missile defense negotiator, Witold Waszczykowski.
Warsaw has demanded U.S. help in upgrading Polish armed forces in return for the basing of 10 missile interceptors in the country. The American missile-defense plan would also involve a radar system in neighboring Czech Republic.
Washington says the system is necessary to protect the United States and its European allies from possible future attacks from Iran.
The Polish Foreign Ministry released a statement confirming that the talks had focused on the topics cited by Mull, but did not elaborate.
Poland is pushing for Patriot 3 or Thaad missiles, and has identified 17 areas of its military that the United States could help modernize.
The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, is scheduled to visit Washington from March 8 to 10 and meet with President George W. Bush.
Meanwhile, Czech and American negotiators will resume talks next week in Prague about the radar base, the Czech Defense Ministry said Friday. Bush and the Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, said after meeting in Washington on Wednesday that they were close to reaching a deal.
A Czech demand for strict environmental rules has delayed an agreement, the two leaders said. Despite that, both Bush and Topolanek said that the dispute could be settled quickly.
Also at issue in the talks is the legal status of American troops at the base, including who would have penal jurisdiction.
Russia fiercely opposes the U.S. plans for missile-defense sites in Eastern Europe, contending that the system would threaten its own deterrent strength and rejecting U.S. assurances that the system is not aimed at Moscow.
The Kremlin has threatened to target antimissile sites in Poland and the Czech Republic with Russian missiles in response.
March 1, 2008 By Associated Press
WARSAW--American and Polish officials "made a good start" on Friday during high-level talks about how Washington could help to modernize the Polish military in exchange for the East European country's allowing a missile-defense base on its territory, a U.S. envoy said.
Stephen Mull, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs, said the two countries had "agreed to focus in particular on Poland's air defense, command and control and mobility needs."
"While we have much work to do on both sides to clarify the details of how we can work together on these issues, we made a good start today," Mull said after talks with Poland's chief missile defense negotiator, Witold Waszczykowski.
Warsaw has demanded U.S. help in upgrading Polish armed forces in return for the basing of 10 missile interceptors in the country. The American missile-defense plan would also involve a radar system in neighboring Czech Republic.
Washington says the system is necessary to protect the United States and its European allies from possible future attacks from Iran.
The Polish Foreign Ministry released a statement confirming that the talks had focused on the topics cited by Mull, but did not elaborate.
Poland is pushing for Patriot 3 or Thaad missiles, and has identified 17 areas of its military that the United States could help modernize.
The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, is scheduled to visit Washington from March 8 to 10 and meet with President George W. Bush.
Meanwhile, Czech and American negotiators will resume talks next week in Prague about the radar base, the Czech Defense Ministry said Friday. Bush and the Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, said after meeting in Washington on Wednesday that they were close to reaching a deal.
A Czech demand for strict environmental rules has delayed an agreement, the two leaders said. Despite that, both Bush and Topolanek said that the dispute could be settled quickly.
Also at issue in the talks is the legal status of American troops at the base, including who would have penal jurisdiction.
Russia fiercely opposes the U.S. plans for missile-defense sites in Eastern Europe, contending that the system would threaten its own deterrent strength and rejecting U.S. assurances that the system is not aimed at Moscow.
The Kremlin has threatened to target antimissile sites in Poland and the Czech Republic with Russian missiles in response.