Obama to Abandon Missile Defense in Poland and Czech Republic?
Categories: MissileDefense Poland CzechRepublic Russia
Tags: MissileDefense Poland CzechRepublic Russia
This is deeply troubling. It appears President Obama is about to throw two allies under the bus.
In order to appease Russia, Obama seems set to look for “alternatives” to the two eastern European sites for missile defense.
What this fails to consider is that there will not be any appeasing of Russia. This is an indisputable sign of weakness that will not pay the dividends it is advertised as paying.
I admire Russia. I respect their history and their very legitimate geopolitical concerns. As I have often said, a history of being invaded by Mongols, Napoleon, and Hitler while living under leaders like Ivan the Terrible and Stalin has a way of affecting a nation’s outlook. I can well understand their tradition of seeking to expand in order to gain "strategic depth" against possible enemies.
That said, it is of paramount importance to look at strategy from the US interests perspective and I see no way that shunting the Czech Republic and Poland aside will do anything except make America look unserious to Putin and Medvedev.
This is about more than just the defense itself, its about a guarantee that two nations (especially Poland who can recall its partitioning at the hands of pre-unified German Prussia, Austria, and Russia as well as the Nazi-Soviet carve up after the Ribbentrop-Molotov deal) that they will not be sacrificed to Russian ambitions. While its unlikely Russian tanks are going to be marching into Warsaw or Prague, the point is that these countries can now no longer have faith in America’s word as an ally.
If this is true, this is a colossal mistake by the President. It won’t get Russia on board for dealing with Iran. As for greasing the skids for the follow-up to START, I’ve already expressed my deep reservations on that issue.
It's predictable. I could see where this was headed last year at the time of the Georgia invasion. Defense Secretary Gates was asked what kind of measures would be taken against Russia (e.g., Was every option on the table?). Gates replied that for the last 60 years, the USA policy toward Russia was to avoid military confrontation. Umm . . . is that what the Cold War was all about? Would Ronald Reagan have given the same answer as Secretary Gates? Despite Secretary of State Hillary Clinton jovially pushing the "restart" button with Russia, I don't see a Russia that is trying to make any headway toward better relations with the USA. Instead, I see an emboldened Russia that is conducting joint military exercises with Venezuela in our own hemisphere, I see Russians in South Ossetia renewing provocations aimed at the Georgians, I see Russian submarines patrolling waters off our eastern seaboard, I see Russian frontier areas still off limits to foreigners and even to Russian citizens unless they can qualify for special permits, and I see Russia ominously warning the Ukraine that the pipeline that runs through it will be shut down by the Russians.
Our refusal to check Russian aggression only fuels the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran who clearly see the lesson of history is to obtain nuclear weapons in order to tweak the nose of the United States without fear of reprisal.
The idea that we need Russian assistance in negotiating with North Korea and Iran is deeply flawed. If we make Russia desist from its aggression, we send a signal to North Korea and Iran that we won't be pushed around.
Indeed, Russia is not interested in helping us leverage cooperation out of Iran. Instead, Russia's accommodation of Iran while the West seeks sanctions against Iran only causes Iran to cozy up even closer to Russia than before. The pathway to a nuclear Iran leads through Russia, so the more Iran seeks nuclear technology, the closer Iran orbits Russia. Iranian leaders are so short-sighted that they don't see that their own ambitions will only reinforce Russia's hegemony in the region. Iranian leaders don't see that once they become a satellite of Russia that Moscow, not Tehran, will call the shots. Pulling Iran into Russia's orbit gives Russia so many advantages superior to that which would have been realized had the Afghanistan invasion resulted in Russian victory. Russia's domination of the worldwide energy sector and stranglehold on Europe and East Asia would be greatly consolidated by hegemony vis-a-vis Iran.
I think the USA needs to develop the capability to neutralize military threats from Russia. I think the USA needs to have ALL options on the table for dealing with Russian aggression. I think Secretary Gates thinking only emasculates American standing in the world. I'd like to see a Reaganesque leader emerge that says "If Russia crosses us, we will BEAT Russia."
Reply to this
I largely agree with you. Russia's interest and ours do not coincide. This is contrary to what Obama and many other foreign policy elites might say.
I am not for overt bellicosity, but I am for holding the line on most issues. Russia is not a paper tiger, but they are not the Soviet Union either. Its a tenuous and dangerous game that must be played, but facile responses and empty quid pro quos aren't the solution.
Reply to this