CHANGE it's even good for Defense!!

[Navy1960]

L'AQUILA, Italy (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned the United States Friday that if it did not reach agreement with Russia on plans for missile defense systems, Moscow would deploy rockets in an enclave near Poland.

In sharp contrast to his positive words during President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow earlier this week when the two reached broad agreement on nuclear arms cuts, Medvedev used a news conference at the G8 summit to return to Russia's earlier tough rhetoric on arms control.

Referring to an order he gave earlier this year to prepare deployment of short-range Russian missiles in the western enclave of Kaliningrad to answer to any U.S. deployment of a missile shield in central Europe, Medvedev said:

"If we don't manage to agree on the issues, you know the consequences. What I said during my state of the nation address has not been revoked."

Medvedev also appeared to change his tone on the missile defense shield itself.

During Obama's visit he told the U.S. leader, using markedly softer language than normal, that "no one is saying that missile defense is harmful in itself or that it poses a threat to someone."
Medvedev threatens U.S. over missile shield | Politics | Reuters

Senate Republicans see a new agreement forged between President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as an opportunity to force Democrats’ hand on a major security issue: missile defense.

Sixty-seven senators, or two-thirds of those present, must agree to ratify any deal seeking to reduce nuclear weapons between the two nations, giving Senate Republicans, who only control 40 seats, rare leverage.

The high bar for ratifying treaties will put pressure on Obama to finish construction of a missile shield in Eastern Europe. At the very least, it will make it very difficult for the president to limit that shield in exchange for Russian concessions on the size of its nuclear stockpile.

Republicans are already demanding that Obama press Russia into allowing a missile defense system in Eastern Europe in return for the U.S. agreeing to reduce its nuclear arsenal to between 1,500 and 1,675 warheads.

“I don’t want the Russians to get something and we get nothing. I don’t know what we’re getting out of this,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an influential member of the Armed Services Committee.

“I think the administration is going to make a mistake if they don’t recognize the missile-defense components of this debate have to be addressed.”
TheHill.com - Nukes treaty gives GOP weapon on missile defense

President Obama has made his first mistake in Russia even before he arrives in Moscow today. His attempt to cast Vladimir Putin as yesterday’s man and to drive a wedge between the Prime Minister and President Medvedev demonstrates a misreading of relations in the Kremlin.
Barack Obama makes basic error over balance of power in Kremlin - Times Online

Its fairly clear that President Obama has little skill in foreign policy matters and this new treaty contains language that not only limits offense assets but DEFENSIVE assets. This from the same president that cut missile defense in the wake of rising threats the world over.

 

[Lycurgus]

So holding hands, skipping through the park and having a picnic with the Russians didn't work!

Gee, I'm surprised! lol

I'm sure he will do much better with Iran, N. Korea and China!

 

[Navy1960]

Whats interesting is Missile Defense is a capability that renders offensive weapons ineffective or that is the stated purpose and based on testing it seems clear that these weapons are getting better and better with each test. So the Russian interest in our scrapping Missile defense in Poland is more or less one that serves their interests only and not ours. In fact we have an agreement with Poland to base those Missiles there and in order to make the agreement with Russia we would have to break one with Poland...

Washington says the planned system, which is not yet operational, is needed to protect the U.S. and Europe from possible attacks by missile-armed "rogue states," such as Iran. The Kremlin, however, believes it is aimed at Russia's missile force and warns that it will worsen tensions.

U.S. officials also said the timing of the deal was not meant to antagonize Russian leaders at a time when relations are strained over the recent fighting between Russia and Georgia.

In an interview on news channel TVN24, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the United States had agreed to augment Poland's defenses with Patriot missiles in exchange for placing 10 missile defense interceptors in the East European country.

Tusk said the deal also included a "mutual commitment" between the nations to come to each other's assistance "in case of trouble."

That clause appeared to be a reference to Russia, which has threatened to aim its nuclear-armed missiles at Poland -- a former Soviet satellite -- if it allows the U.S. site on its soil
U.S., Poland reach deal on missile base - Los Angeles Times

Poland's foreign minister says he received assurances from Barack Obama's administration that it will follow through on plans to place a Patriot missile battery in Poland.

The plan was originally intended as a reward for Poland's acceptance of a US missile defence base, but Obama has not yet decided the fate of the proposed missile defence system.

Foreign minister Radek Sikorski said secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton assured him that, either way, the United States will put the Patriot missiles in Poland. He spoke after meeting with Clinton in Washington yesterday, and his remarks were broadcast on Polish TV.

"The secretary of state said that we are going to carry out that which really matters to Poland," Sikorski said. He said the US and Poland would go ahead with a deal for "first the temporary and then permanent stationing of a battery of Patriot missiles in Poland".
Poland will get Patriot missile system from the US, foreign minister says | World news | guardian.co.uk

It would appear that the Obama Administration has been hedging on the basing of Missile interceptors there now despite any agreements with the Russians.