Europe To Depend On
Unproven Interceptor
Polish Missile Base Gives US A Forward Base In Poland
Warsaw, Poland - 26 March, 2008 Poland will give the Unites States a minimum of two things when it agrees to the missile base on Polish soil. It gives the US a base from which it can challenge Russia and a leveraged increase in troops on the ground in Europe.
Rhetoric aside, the Russian objection to the interceptor missile base in Poland has been a charade. Only the most gullible and those with an anti-American agenda believe that 10 interceptors present any danger to Russia's nuclear arsenal.
The unspoken issue is that the United States will have a base in Poland that will fix the Polish border and that Poland will have the United States behind it to protect that border.
Russia sees the base for what it is. Yes, the base is likely to be able to defend against missiles from "rogue" nations fired at US assets in Europe. But it is supported by a radar in Czech that can look back into Russia. And it puts US troops, albeit small numbers, in the Russian "near abroad". It tells Russia, you tread on Poland, you tread on the US.
Poland, whose relationship with Russia is not the best, has demanded its military be upgraded in return for agreeing to the US presence on its soil. But in doing so it has flown into the US hegemonian flytrap.
Poland wants something in return for allowing the base on its soil. It is making demands that are being met.
The perception promoted by the media, and not disputed by the United States, is that the United States is being forced into spending money, because of the "hard bargaining" of the Polish negotiators, to build a modern army outfitted with the most modern technology in the ex-Russian near abroad. And that army is made up of Polish people.
It is a clever and cheap way for the US to build an anti-Russian army in Eastern Europe. Just provide the equipment and let someone else maintain it and provide the manpower. Let Poland worry about paying and training the troops.
The end result is that the United States can extend its influence through a low cost Army in Poland.
But in the world of diplomatic deception, appearances count. So the US has had to do some maneuvering on its own to make it look like it does not want to be thrown into the equipment upgrade briar patch. Brer Rabbit meets a Tar Baby .
Whether the base will be built or not is still open to question. And regardless of whether Poland decides on the briar patch option or not, the best laid plans "gang aft agley". To A Mouse.
There is more to getting an acceptable agreement with the US Executive Branch to allow the base to be built. Funding for the system must be approved by the US Congress. And to date Congress has not approved it. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jul/27/usa.topstories3 Congress delivers blow to Bush's European missile project by slashing funding . Getting approval may only require assurances of the right contracts going to constituents of the right members of Congress.
However, with US elections later this year, Congressional attitudes and requirements may change. Poland will have to wait to see if what is agreed to will be delivered in full or modified to satisfy Congressional political needs.
And should the next president of the US elected in 2008 be Barrak Hussein Obama, an attempt may be made to cut funding completely.Obama Pledges Cuts in Missile Defense, Space, and Nuclear Weapons Programs And see Obama on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o84PE871BE
The missile base, however, will provide the opportunity for many lucrative contracts. The US Congressmen and Senators whose constituents will benefit are likely to support anything that will bring money. They will have a lot of influence on any President's decisions.
Poland may also be swayed by politics and money.
Poland is probably a low priority target for a missile attack by any rogue state. So there is not much need for a missile defense system.
But the Polish Government sees the advantages of money, jobs and an upgraded military. And it will probably feel more comfortable knowing that it has a base on its soil that reduces any dangers from the East. So it too will likely apply political pressure on the US to keep the project alive.
And as that happens, Russia will continue to see a US base in its near abroad that can be used for one thing today and another tomorrow. So it will continue to threaten everyone while the United States d
