Will the US construct a missile shield in Europe to protect against rogue nations? As of now they are still considering the issue in an attempt to find an amicable solution which will keep Russia satisfied. The Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn summarized the current situation stating, “we think there are a number of ways to address (the Iranian) threat. One of the options is to deploy the missiles in Poland and the radar Czech Republic and we are certainly evaluating that option as well as other possible options.” He continued to state, “we have not made a decision to go forward with that at this point.”
A shield which was at one point a virtual certainty has now become a possible option because of strong Russian opposition. Senator McCain stated that Poland is under the impression that we will still pursue the shield, an agreement which was developed during the Bush administration.
Lynn clarified some of the other possible options stating that a cooperative effort with the Russians could solve the problem.
What do you think about setting up a missile shield in Russia as a cooperative effort between he United States and Russia? What would the negative implications be from such an arrangement? From a purely fiscal standpoint it could be beneficial in that Russia could help share the costs associated with the construction and maintenance of the shield.
The administration has never admitted to the possibility that the shield would also be to protect against threats from Russia. However I believe that the shield would be beneficial for all nations in or around Europe, including Russia. If we construct the shield with the Russians, we will forfeit our protection for a Russian attack.
