Russia, U.S. trade charges over missile-defense system
Air Force Lieutenant General Henry Obering, who heads the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, said in Washington on January 25 that the missile-defense system the United States wants to deploy in Poland and the Czech Republic is not aimed against Russia, but against a potential long-range missile threat from Iran or other "rogue nations," news agencies reported. Obering acknowledged there is currently no long-range Iranian missile threat. He stressed, however, that the United States wants to anticipate where a threat may develop in the future and plan accordingly. Obering rejected Russian statements that the project could upset the regional security balance, saying there is no way the planned system could neutralize the large Russian arsenal. The United States wants to establish up to 10 ground-based missile interceptors in Poland and an advanced radar station in the Czech Republic. Poland and the Czech Republic have agreed to start discussions with the United States on hosting the facilities. Speaking in New Delhi on January 24, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov reiterated recent Russian criticism of the U.S. plans, suggesting that the system is directed against Russia, news.ru reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 22 and 24, 2007). On January 26, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said that the U.S. plans amount to "a move in the wrong direction" that could threaten global security, RIA Novosti and mid.ru reported. He stressed that "the deployment of a U.S. antimissile base in Europe is nothing but an attempt to reconfigure the United States' military presence in the region." He repeated a previous Russian call for talks between Moscow on one side and Washington and its allies on the other. PM // Copyright (c) 2005. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. RFE/RL
- US Treasury agrees to sell $5.8bn worth of AIG shares
- Obama: US will seek oil in Alaska and Gulf of Mexico
- US to meet China in Washington to tackle thorny issues
- China and US plan talks to solve currency issues
- NYSE Euronext gets rival bid from Nasdaq and ICE
- US unemployment rate falls to new two-year low of 8.8%
- Moldovan premier meets experts from U.S. Department of Energy
- Official reserves about to hit record high in Moldova
- 'Sleeping' US air traffic controller suspended
- China posts a surprise trade deficit as exports slow
- Asia, US helps Mercedes Benz sales hit record high in 2006
- Cricova: The Largest Underground Wine Cellar in the World
- What does Remortgage mean?
- Dutch bear profit rises 26 percent
- Foreign direct investment in India doubles during 2006
- Greece: Socialist government's budget deficit of 12.5% caused debt crisis
- Toyota in talks to build new China plant
- Walt Disney profit up 39 percent
- DaimlerChrysler is not planning to manufacture trucks in India