NATO agrees to a missile defense shield
Image via WikipediaA missile defence system covering all Nato countries has been agreed at the alliance's summit in Lisbon, US President Barack Obama has said.The NY Times reports:
The shield would cover all Nato members in Europe and North America.
Nato is also backing the swift ratification of the Start treaty between the US and Russia, cutting nuclear weapon stockpiles.
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...Turkey may want the components to share with Iran so they can try to develop a system to defeat it. The Turks have been closer to the religious bigots in Iran than they have to the West of late. The Russians should be interested in the system since Iran may want to attack them eventually too.
Turkey, which had seemed to present a potential sticking point, dropped its objections when it was satisfied that no country, particularly Iran, would be named as its principal target. Turkey also wanted funds to purchase anti-missile components.
Missile defense has long created tensions between NATO and Russia, but American officials were optimistic the meeting on Saturday would prove far more productive than earlier ones with then-President Vladimir V. Putin, who made no secret of his mistrust of the alliance. In general, senior NATO officials note a very welcoming Russian tone under President Dmitri Medvedev to the idea of cooperation with NATO on missile defense and European security, and they note the general silence of Mr. Putin.
On Saturday, Russia will be formally invited to participate in the missile defense system, especially with intelligence and radar sharing. Moscow has indicated that it is interested but has questions, and wants to ensure that the system is not aimed at deterring Russian missiles.
The missile defense system approved on Friday is different from the fixed-missile defense that President George W. Bush initiated and that proved controversial. The idea is to have a phased system of mobile radars and anti-missile missiles, like the Patriot system, that would be less expensive than the Bush system. The NATO spokesman, James Appathurai, said the nearly $1.5 billion cost could be managed over 10 years.
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It is ironic that candidate Obama wanted to cut the missile defense system, but now sees its benefits in protecting us from the intentions of a rogue regime in Iran.
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