9 January 2008
Poland vows harder bargain with U.S. on missile defense
Associated Press
International Herald Tribune

WARSAW, Poland: Poland's prime minister made clear Wednesday that he plans to drive a harder bargain than his predecessor over plans to accept part of a proposed U.S. missile defense shield.

"Our agreement to a missile defense installation in Poland is going to be directly tied to ... increasing Poland's security," Donald Tusk told reporters.

However, he said that so far, the country "has not received assurances or a guarantee that hosting a missile defense base in Poland — an American missile defense base — will increase the security level of our country."

Tusk's remarks underline a greater skepticism in Poland's approach toward the U.S. system since his government took office in November. His predecessor, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, opened talks with the U.S. early last year and firmly supported the plan.

"As the prime minister of the Polish government, I feel responsible for the security of Poles, and not, with all due respect for our greatest ally, for the security of the United States," Tusk added.

"This is why we are going to lead negotiations in this direction: a missile defense base on the condition that other effects of these negotiations increase — and not decrease — Poland's security."

Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich said he would press the U.S. to strengthen Poland's short and mid-range air defenses — in the form of Patriot or THAAD missiles — as part of a deal, the PAP news agency reported.

Klich also stressed that a strict analysis of potential costs and benefits would determine whether Poland would ultimately agree to accept the shield.

He listed "Poland's introduction into the American defense system" as a benefit of accepting the base, but noted the increased threat of a terrorist attack against Poland as a major cost.

"I don't know all of the potential benefits and costs yet, and that's why the negotiations must go on," Klich said.

A U.S. State Department spokesman called Poland a good friend and ally.

"It's an extremely close relationship; it's also a negotiation, and you have negotiations with friends and allies," Sean McCormack said in Washington. "They have interests they want to see served. We're, of course, going to listen to what those interests are."

McCormack described a "huge overlap" in Polish and U.S. interests, and widespread acceptance among European countries on the need to address what he called the threat from Iran.

Tusk spoke a day before traveling to Prague for talks with his Czech counterpart, Mirek Topolanek, that are expected to focus on missile defense.

Also Thursday, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski is slated to discuss the system in Warsaw with a Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergey Kisliak, while Poland's defense minister is to fly to Washington next week for talks with U.S. leaders.

The Czech government has been receptive to the U.S. proposal.

However, a CVVM agency survey published Tuesday showed that 70 percent of Czechs asked oppose it, while recent polls also show solid opposition to the plan in Poland. CVVM's margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The U.S. hopes to place 10 interceptors in Poland to protect the U.S. and Europe against potential attacks from Iran. The system would also include a radar base in the neighboring Czech Republic.

Russia has fiercely opposed the plan, saying that such an installation so close to its territory poses a threat to its national security, and has warned it could target the base in Poland with missiles.