Romania Approves Draft Law on U.S. Missile Shield

Romania’s government has approved a draft law that permits the building of an anti-ballistic interceptor site in the country as part of a U.S. missile shield.

.S. Missile Shield to Cover Entire Bulgaria under New Plan

Ellen Tauscher

The U.S. missile defense shield will cover the entire territory of Europe, including all Bulgaria, according to U.S. Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher.

Bulgarian parliament will discuss any missile defense system proposal

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov

Speaking at the parliament’s question-and-answer session, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said the parliament will discuss any proposal about a missile defense system, FOCUS News Agency reported.

NATO Says Missile Defense Cost Small Price to Pay

NATO Secretary General Rasmussen

Wednesday, the head of NATO announced the cost of linking up the alliance’s missile defense systems at less than $260 million, and said it was a small price to pay to protect citizens. “How could we not agree to build defense for all our citizens against missile attacks? Why would we protect our soldiers — and we should — but not everybody else?”

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has been urging the 28 NATO states to agree to the system at a summit in Lisbon in November, citing an increased threat from Iran, but alliance members have questioned the cost. The project envisages creating an alliance command and control system to link existing national missile defenses and extend NATO-wide protection beyond that which the alliance already provides to its armed forces.

Bulgaria Ready to Host Elements of U.S. Missile Shield

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov

Bulgaria has announced it is willing to host parts of a future United States ballistic missile defense system in their country.  Bulgaria joins neighboring Romania in this international cooperative offer to the US.  Prime Minister Boiko Borisov told President Obama that “It is of utmost interest for Bulgaria to be included in the missile defense.”

Bulgaria has joined neighboring Romania in offering to host elements of a future US anti-ballistic missile defense system.

The Black Sea country’s leaders say it is not protected from Iran’s long-range missiles, which can carry nuclear warheads.

Czechs May Join Missile Defense Warning System

US President Barack Obama with Czech President Vaclav Klaus

The Czech Republic may be a part of a new warning system against possible enemy missile attacks, Czech Defence Minister Martin Bartak told the media after his talks on missile defense during the Washington Nuclear Summit held on Monday and Tuesday.

Bartak met Michele Flournoy, U.S. under secretary of defense, and Ellen Tauscher, under secretary of state.

He said this concerned sharing of data from commanding and observing elements placed in two locations in the Czech Republic.

“We will see the same data as our U.S. allies and at the same time,” Bartak said.

Romania Defends Role in U.S. Missile Shield

Romania is defending its involvement in the United States missile defense plans in Europe. The plans include stationing 24 land-based interceptor missiles, SM-3′s are the planned system. While the Russian’s see this as upsetting the balance and an intrusion on their sphere of influence by the U.S., the Romania government claims “the deal will make the region more secure.”

When George W Bush was US president, his missile defense plan proposed interceptor missiles in Poland, coupled with a new radar in the Czech Republic.

President Barack Obama won rare praise from Moscow for scrapping that plan, which the Russians suspected was aimed against them.

But the thaw did not last long. Last September, Washington announced what it called the Phased Adaptive Approach (PAA) to missile defense.

This new system would start by stationing missile defense assets in south-east Europe, and slowly spread its web to the center and finally the north.

The Case for Western Missile Defense

This article, written by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, discusses with the significance of the upcoming signing of the START treaty by Russia and the United States and how nuclear weapons are now becoming more of a threat. It also talks about Iran becoming an increasing threat and the significance of having missile defense in order to protect the world we live in.

Next week in Prague, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and US president Barack Obama will sign a new strategic arms reduction treaty (Start). That agreement is an historic achievement, and an inspiration for further progress in global arms control. But at the same time, here and now, we must also prepare to defend against another, less encouraging trend.

Moscow Wants Arms Treaty To Cover Missile Defense

General Nikolai Makarov

Russia is holding fast on tying missile defense into the START follow-on treaty. The head of Russian armed forces, Nikolai Makarov, has said that “the time of signing the new treaty will depend… on the sides’ readiness to heed each other’s interests.” Its odd that at the same time a Russian lawmaker said that the treaty would “definitely”  be signed before the nuclear summit being held April 12-13 in Washington, D.C.. Looks like Moscow maybe talking out both sides of its mouth on this.

The United States has been refusing to include the missile defense issue in the new strategic offensive arms reduction treaty, said chief of the Russian armed forces’ General Staff, General of the Army Nikolai Makarov.

“The treaty is about 95% prepared, but individual aspects have yet to be negotiated, including the American side’s consent to include the problem of missile defense in the treaty – a matter of crucial importance for us,” Makarov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta, published on Tuesday.

Russian State Duma Might Block New START Treaty

Speaker of Russian Duma, Boris Gryzlov

Boris Gryzlov, Speaker of the Russian Duma, said the lower house of parliament may reject any new START treaty that is not directly linked to missile defense. Russia and the United States have been working on a deal since  Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama met in April last year. U.S. missile defense plans have become a major sticking point in the nuclear disarmament negotiations.

Russia’s State Duma, or lower house of parliament, might block a new strategic arms treaty (START) with the United States, if it is not linked with missile defense, the Duma’s speaker said Tuesday.

“We will not ratify it, if it does not take into account the link between strategic offensive weapons and missile defense,” Boris Gryzlov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

Gryzlov told his Bulgarian counterpart, Tsetska Tsacheva, Tuesday U.S. plans to deploy elements of a missile defense shield in eastern Europe was “a particularly sensitive issue for Russia.”