Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Wall Street Journal (wsj.com)
January 22, 2008 WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The Pentagon said Tuesday it is hopeful about reaching an agreement with the Czech Republic within weeks on stationing a radar on its territory for a U.S. missile defense site in Europe.
Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said talks with the Czech Republic "continue to go very, very well."
"We are moving ever closer to an agreement," he said. "Hopefully, we'll have something to announce within the matter of weeks, hopefully not much longer than that."
Morrell's upbeat characterization of the talks with the Czech Republic comes as a new Polish government is pressing for security guarantees from Washington in return for deploying interceptor missiles on its territory.
Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich, who met in Washington last week with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said Poland wanted U.S. help in modernizing its air defense system.
The U.S. move to install a missile defense system in Europe has angered Russia, which sees it as an encroachment in its former sphere of influence that could one day be turned against Moscow.
Morrell said there has been no progress in U.S. diplomatic efforts to engage the Russians on the missile defense shield.
January 22, 2008 WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The Pentagon said Tuesday it is hopeful about reaching an agreement with the Czech Republic within weeks on stationing a radar on its territory for a U.S. missile defense site in Europe.
Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said talks with the Czech Republic "continue to go very, very well."
"We are moving ever closer to an agreement," he said. "Hopefully, we'll have something to announce within the matter of weeks, hopefully not much longer than that."
Morrell's upbeat characterization of the talks with the Czech Republic comes as a new Polish government is pressing for security guarantees from Washington in return for deploying interceptor missiles on its territory.
Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich, who met in Washington last week with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said Poland wanted U.S. help in modernizing its air defense system.
The U.S. move to install a missile defense system in Europe has angered Russia, which sees it as an encroachment in its former sphere of influence that could one day be turned against Moscow.
Morrell said there has been no progress in U.S. diplomatic efforts to engage the Russians on the missile defense shield.