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Obama being flexible with Russia

Started by custosnox, March 18, 2013, 07:06:38 PM

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custosnox

After his on mic comment about being able to be more flexible on the defense missiles after re-election, he seems to have moved onto it quickly.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/obama-missile-shield-russia/2013/03/17/id/495084

Quote
Newsmax
Obama Administration Caves to Putin on Missile
Shield for Europe
By: Kenneth Hanner
Buried in the news made late Friday made by Defense Secretary Chuck
Hagel that the U.S. planned to deploy missile interceptors in Alaska and
California was the equally important news that the Obama administration
was going to stop long-held plans to fully deploy a missile shield in Eastern
Europe.
The Pentagon insisted that the change in deployment had nothing to do
with trying to assuage Russia and everything with the threat from North
Korea, which in recent months has sent a long-range missile into space,
detonated a nuclear device, and, last week, sent a barrage ofmissiles into
the Sea of Japan.
But the issue of the missile shield has long been seen as a sign of NATO's
commitment to protect Europe and former Soviet satellite states against a
potentially belligerent Russia, which has made the anti-missile deployment a
key target in their diplomatic efforts with the U.S.
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The U.S. plan had called for interceptors in Poland and Romania,
complemented by deployed U.S. naval ships outfitted in the Mediterranean.
Hagel said the first three phases would be fully implemented, but the fourth,
the deployment of a large interceptor warhead, would not go forward.
At a meeting last March in South Korea, Obama told then-Russia President
Dmitri Medvedev in remarks picked up by a live microphone that he would
have "more flexibility" on the missile shield issue following an election
victory.
Hagel's decision Friday confirms that Obama may be trying to live up to the
promise, resolving a key part of the issue in Russia's favor early in his
second term. The Obama administration reportedly believes the move may
encourage Russia to additional nuclear arm cuts.
The Obama Administration recently offered an olive branch to Russia,
indicating it planned to de-activate one-third of the U.S. nuclear arsenal
unilaterally and without Congressional approval.
The Pentagon said if the fourth phase deployment of the missile shield in
East Europe, if re-started, would not take place earlier than 2022.
Russia and the United States have been at odds over a Central Europebased missile defense system since first proposed by President George W.
Bush to protect against missiles from Iran.
NATO has argued the system's placement is not solely based on Russia'sstrategic arsenal, but places interceptors close to the treaty organization's
southern flank, able to deflect Iran's growing missile capabilities.
Russia has maintained that the system is meant to counter its own missile
arsenal. Russia maintains the world's largest nuclear arsenal and continues
to modernize and upgrade its missile capabilities.
The shift has so far failed to change Russia's opposition to first three
phases of the Europe-based system that has already been completed,
although Moscow has yet to make any official pronouncements about
Hagel's announcement.
Influential Russian lawmaker Alexei Pushkov said on Sunday that Moscow
still opposes the missile-defense system in Europe, Reuters reported.
"It would be premature to say that something has fundamentally changed,"
said Pushkov, who heads the foreign affairs committee in the Russian State
Duma and is an ally of President Vladimir Putin. "The United States is
readjusting the missile defense system due to financial and technology
issues—issues not related to the Russian position."
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Russia's press services were also critical of the move. And Russia's RT
news service said Moscow remains concerned about U.S. efforts to build a
radar station in the Czech Republic. RT said the station will complement the
deployed interceptors.
Hagel also said there were technical difficulties with the system that was set
to be deployed in Poland and Romania by early next decade and cited the
$1 billion cost of the new North Korea defense system as playing a key role
in his decision.
Hagel made no reference during the Pentagon announcement to Russia's
objections to the system in Central Europe, but said that the U.S.
commitment to missile defense there "remains ironclad."
Republicans in Congress criticized Hagel's announcement on both fiscal
and national security grounds.
"President Obama's reverse course decision will cost the American taxpayer
more money and upset our allies," GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama,
chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee that has oversight
over the program, told the Associated Press