Washington: Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton is defending the new Obama administration
approach to missile defence in Europe, saying it will enhance
protection of the US and its NATO allies.
In a speech at the Brookings Institution, Clinton
disputed critics who assert that President Barack Obama will
leave Europe more vulnerable to missile attack. She said his
new approach will improve US capabilities to defend against an
Iranian missile threat by building a more comprehensive
antimissile system at sea and on land.
Clinton also said Poland and the Czech Republic, which
had been central to the previous missile defense plan, are now
at the top of the Obama administration`s list of candidates to
host land-based versions of the new missile interceptor.
Clinton argued the new missile defence system, which
replaces that of the Bush Administration is a stronger and
smarter approach. "It does what missile defence is actually
supposed to do: It defends America and our allies."
Hitting hard at the critics of the new missile defence
system, especially the Republicans who have alleged that the
new system would make the US weaker and vulnerable to security
threat from Iran and Russia, Clinton said much of the
criticism is not based on facts.
"Now, I know we`ve heard criticism of this plan from some
quarters, but much of that criticism is not yet connected to
the facts. We are not shelving missile defence. We are
deploying missile defence sooner than the Bush administration
planned to do so, and we are deploying a more comprehensive
system," Clinton said.
She argued that the US is not reducing its capacity to
protect its interests and that of the allies from Iran. "By
contrast, we are increasing that capacity and focusing it on
our best understanding of Iran`s current capabilities."
Asserting that the Obama Administration would never
walk away from its allies, Clinton said, "It actually advances
our cooperation with NATO, and it actually places more
resources in more countries. We have recommitted ourselves to
our Article 5 obligations under NATO."
Clinton said the US will continue to cooperate closely
with both the Czech Republic and Poland, where the earlier
missile defence system was to be built.
"...for instance, through rotation of a Patriot battery
in Poland and close missile defence research and development
with Czech companies. As we explore land-based interceptors
going forward, we have made it clear that those two countries
will be at the top of the list," she said.
The Secretary of State asserted that the decision to
scrap the missile shield project in eastern Europe was nothing
to do with Russia. "Let me reiterate what the President said
yesterday. This decision was not about Russia. It was about
Iran and the threat that its ballistic missile programme
poses," she said.
Bureau Report
