Poland's Deployment of U.S. Patriot Missiles Conflicts With Obama's Plan

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org released a statement on the reaction to the Polish government announcement on the deployment of a U. S. patriot missile defense system in the vicinity of Morag, Poland, which is located 35 miles from the Russian border. Ellison is one of the top lay experts in missile defense.

"In an agreement with the United States, the Polish Defense Minster Mr. Bogdan Klich announced that U.S. Patriot Air Defense Units will be placed in a Polish Military Base located 35 miles from the border of the Russian enclave, Kaliningrad, which is in the vicinity of Morag, in northern Poland. The U.S. Patriot Air Defense Units are a terminal phase missile defense system that engages and destroys missiles in the atmosphere and are designed specifically for short-range tactical missiles and aircraft over a small tactical valued area. "

"This decision can been seen as provocative to Russia, as the U.S. Patriot Air Defense Units to be deployed can only defend a very small area which will be composed of Polish military forces that directly oppose Russian military forces across the border in Kaliningrad. This defensive system manned by approximately 100 U.S. Army Soldiers, will have the capability to defend against the Russian Iskander tactical nuclear missiles, which the Russians have threatened to deploy around Kaliningrad, if not already in place, as well as defend against other Russian short- range missiles and aircraft."

"Contrary to the administration's decision, the President's new missile defense plan and its sensitivity to Russia to withdraw long-range ballistic missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic to defend Europe and the United States from Iran, this decision is directly providing Poland a capability with deployed U.S. troops to defend Polish military against Russia with no intention of the future threat from Iran to Europe."

"The President's new missile defense plan announced on September 16th, 2009 calls for a phased adaptive approach to defend Europe beginning with current U.S. missile defense systems to defend against the proliferation of short-range missile threats from Iran. It would seem logical that those valuable and limited U.S. Missile Defense assets, such as the Patriot, be deployed in a more useful position then defending Poland against Russia. "

"This decision would also seem to be against the Administration's goodwill and intention to move forward with Russia on the START Follow-On Treaty to reduce strategic nuclear weapons and delivery platforms. Russia could be an important ally with the U.S. on missile defense as it comes to terms with Iran's capabilities and having desired U.S. missile defense systems potentially deployed in one or more countries or regions such as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, the Black Sea or the Balkans is critical for the President's new missile defense plan do what it has promised to do."

SOURCE MDAA