WASHINGTON – Democrats in Congress are building a legislative roadblock to the Bush administration’s plan to place elements of a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
The Senate is expected to join the House next week in reducing funds in the fiscal 2008 Defense Authorization Bill for construction of 10 interceptor missile sites in Poland and for deployment of an X-band radar in the Czech Republic.
The House, in passing its version of the legislation last month, cut $40 million from the bill, which would have funded preparation of the Polish sites next year. The move prevents the White House from proceeding unless President Bush vetoes the measure.
The Senate Armed Services Committee, justifying its decision to delay funding for the European antimissile sites, emphasized not only foreign policy concerns but also technical issues surrounding the interceptor missiles.
As illustrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements last weekend during his visit with Bush in Maine, Russia remains opposed to the U.S. deployment plans. Sergei Ivanov, a senior Russian official warned Wednesday that Moscow could put new missiles in western Russia if Washington pursues plans to build the missile defense system, the Associated Press reported.
In its report on the authorization bill, the Senate committee cited Moscow’s opposition and said any funding should await completion of talks between the two governments.
The panel also noted that moving ahead without NATO participation in a system that is in part intended to protect Europe from Iranian missiles would cost the United States an estimated $4 billion through fiscal 2013.
Although preliminary talks have begun with Polish and Czech leaders, the committee said that “these negotiations may not be concluded before the end of this year, and then would have to be ratified by the parliaments in each nation.”
At the same time, residents of the areas where U.S. facilities would be located have voiced overwhelming objections in local referendums.
The Senate panel also noted that the interceptor to be placed in Poland “has not yet been developed or tested, and is not currently planned to be flight-tested until 2010.”
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