Russia slams missile shield, wants talks with U.S.

[Jacklou59]

Russia slams missile shield, wants talks with U.S. By Louis Charbonneau
37 minutes ago


BERLIN (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday U.S. plans to deploy a missile shield in central Europe would undermine global non-proliferation efforts and demanded serious discussions on the issue with Washington.


"These plans will effectively remove the possibility of dealing with the threat to the nuclear non-proliferation regime with diplomatic means," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wrote in the German newspaper Handelsblatt.

The United States wants to deploy a radar system in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland by 2011-12. It says the system would counter threats from so-called "rogue states" like Iran and North Korea.

Tehran denies Western accusations it is secretly developing nuclear weapons in violation of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. It accuses Western powers of hypocrisy in continuing to develop and modernise their own nuclear systems.

Russia, which sees the missile shield as an encroachment on its former sphere of influence, has accused Washington of using Cold War tactics to persuade Europe to host the system.

"What risks do we see in this U.S. project? In the first place, it will lead to an erosion of strategic stability. Also the balance in global politics can be put in danger," Lavrov said in the article, due to be published on Wednesday.

BRIEFINGS

The United States says the project is not aimed at Russia.

But Lavrov made it clear Moscow believes the missile shield may one day be used for offensive weapons.

"The missile shafts needed for the interceptor missiles copy in a dangerous way the facilities for launching intercontinental ballistic missiles. What will find its way into these shafts in five to 10 years," Lavrov said.

Earlier this month U.S. Lieutenant General Henry Obering, director of the Missile Defense Agency, told reporters in Berlin recently that the missile shield facilities were purely defensive and incompatible with offensive weapons.

The United States says it has repeatedly informed Russia of the plans in nearly a dozen briefings since last year. But the Russian foreign minister said Moscow needed more than that.

"At a minimum, we need to have a serious debate about the fundamental issue and not just briefings which provide no answers to specific questions," Lavrov said.

Russia slams missile shield, wants talks with U.S. - Yahoo! News

[Woodmonkey]

In other words it's too effective and interferes with their longterm plans.

[Snowden]

It certainly sounds that way.

[Jacklou59]

Well so far we are all on the same page.

[KBay84]

In simpleton terms; "If ya ain't got nothin' to hide...." Who has Russia and Germany gone to bed with on nuke scientific and real properties?

[Jacklou59]

Thats a very good Question!! It could be a number of Countries, I am not going to put my foot in my mouth and mention their names. I will sit back and wait. Iam retired not retarded.

[Snowden]

Originally Posted by KBay84

In simpleton terms; "If ya ain't got nothin' to hide...." Who has Russia and Germany gone to bed with on nuke scientific and real properties?

Dealing with a maverick nation - and in this case both are maverick nations. It is odd, though, that a nation selling arms, etc, to another nation never seems aware that the other nation may become an enemy once it has those weapons. And of course, everybody does it.