The Bush administration has finally gotten what it wanted: American missiles stationed in Poland, potentially less than 250 miles from the Russian border and less than 600 miles from Moscow -- a short missile flight. Scared by the Russian invasion of Georgia, the Polish prime minister backed down on his previous attitude of carefully negotiating the missile issue in the NATO-Russia Council and rushed his fence, agreeing to the missile deal offered by the US.
Here are some of the deal's terms:
The missile defense system is claimed to defend against Iran and North Korea (countries which do not have long-range missiles yet), but the Patriot missiles clearly are not. They are an open and unnecessary threat to Russia. After all, Poland is a member of NATO and Russia may be bold, but not retarded. Nevertheless, Condi Rice still has appetite for war after getting the US in two of them, and underline
"It is an agreement that deepens the defense cooperation between Poland and the United States," she explained. "It does so, of course, in the context of our great alliance with NATO and our Article-5 commitments to one another in that alliance."
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is the promise that NATO members will defend each other.
John McCain delayed the development of the missile defense system in the Armed Services Committee. Now he's welcoming the Bush administration starting a new arms race.
Senator Obama, please take Mr. Brzezinski's advice and renegotiate the treaty with Poland, and enter into a critical dialogue with Russia.
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