Czech Republic, U.S. Move Toward Missile Radar Deal

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said yesterday that his nation in the next few months could agree to become home to a U.S. missile defense radar, the New York Times reported (see GSN, Jan. 3).

The deal would involve three separate agreements, covering deployment of the radar base, involvement of Czech companies in developing and deploying the missile defense system, and the status of U.S. military personnel staffing the installation.

“We hope to conclude the negotiations by the end of spring,” Schwarzenberg said of the missile defense cooperation plan.  “The document should minimize the legal, trade and political limitations for establishing new ties and contacts between Czech and American researchers and businessmen.”

Schwarzenberg made his comments as Czech and U.S. officials, including Missile Defense Agency chief Lt. Henry Obering, met in Prague for talks on the radar plan (Judy Dempsey, New York Times, Jan. 17).

Preliminary construction on the radar base could begin by the end of 2008, Obering said.  Washington anticipates spending $100 million on that phase of the project, the Xinhua News Agency reported (Xinhua News Agency, Jan. 17).

The radar would complement 10 missile interceptors that the Bush administration hopes to deploy in Poland.  Warsaw, though, is driving a harder bargain than the government in Prague, the Times reported (see GSN, Jan. 16; Dempsey, New York Times).

Polish officials believe hosting the interceptors could increase the danger to their country and want the United States to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in defense improvements, the Washington Times reported.  The request reportedly includes short- or medium-range air defense systems.

Russia, in particular, has objected to the $3.5 billion U.S. missile shield plan, which Washington says is intended to counter missile threats from Iran or another Middle Eastern nation.

“It’s a negotiation.  We are allies, but even allies have negotiations,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.  “They have a certain set of interests, and we want to talk to them about how, in the framework of these negotiations and our understanding, that we can accommodate their interests” (Kralev/Borowiec, Washington Times, Jan. 16).

“We take Polish considerations very much into account,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried said yesterday following a meeting in Warsaw with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

“The Poles have made a sound case that missile defense may expose them to additional risks that have to be addressed.  We understand this, and we respect this,” Fried added (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Jan. 16).

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