Washington - The United States wants Russia to participate
in plans to field a missile-defence system in Eastern Europe to guard
against a potential threat from Iran, the US general in charge of the
programme said Wednesday.
'We are very open to Russian participation and invitation into
collaboration on missile defence in the broader sense and on any
level, all the way down to specifics in terms of potentially sharing
data and radar data information,' said Lieutenant General Henry A
Obering, head of the Pentagon's Missile Defence Agency.
Obering and US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried recently
returned from a trip to Europe to secure support for plans to install
10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar site in the Czech
Republic.
The plans have angered Russia, which views the missile-defence
system as another sign of NATO encroachment toward its borders, and
created alarm in Western Europe that it could spark a Cold War-style
arms race. The United States insists that the system poses no threat
to Russia and is essential for broader European security against a
long-range ballistic missile threat from Iran.
'The notion that somehow missile defence has to be seen as part of
an emerging arms race between the United States and Russia, which is
some of the odd commentary I hear from some Europeans, has no
relationship to reality,' Fried told reporters.
The United States hopes to have all 10 interceptors installed by
2013, if given a green light from the Polish and Czech governments
within a year.
The United States has agreed to the request by NATO partners to
get the alliance more involved in the process and address concerns
raised by some members.
'In our view, the more NATO is involved in this, the better,'
Fried said.
Fried said during his discussion with European officials that
there has been a much greater understanding of the purpose of missile
defence than has been portrayed by the media.
'At the official level, there is far more understanding, far more
commonality of views than you would ever dream from reading some of
the European press,' Fried said.
Germany, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, has
been trying to mediate differences within Europe over the US plans,
but polls show most of the German population opposes a missile-
defence shield in the neighbouring countries.
Fried said that he finds the public debate in Germany 'somewhat
exotic.' He challenged polls in Germany that show Germans believe the
United States is a greater threat than Iran and oppose missile
defence.
'I'm aware of the polls. I wonder how comfortable Germany would be
in a bilateral security relationship with Iran, okay?' he asked. 'I
don't even think that many people who say that really mean it.'
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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