Gates responds to Russian missile moves

[unhappycamper]

Gates responds to Russian missile moves
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Nov 13, 2008 10:22:38 EST

TALLINN, Estonia — Russian threats to position missiles near Poland to counter a U.S. missile defense plan in Europe are misguided, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, suggesting that Moscow’s latest aggressive rhetoric harkens back to the old Cold War era.

Unleashing his own pointed criticism, Gates said that Russia’s missile threat appears aimed at Europe. And he dismissed as not credible Russia’s latest offer to forego its missile plan if the U.S. would agree not to deploy a defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Speaking at the close of a meeting of NATO defense ministers here, Gates and other officials also signaled that it is inevitable that Ukraine will join the international alliance, although there are hurdles and opposition both from within the new struggling democracy and other allied nations.

The meeting was set largely to deal with the Ukraine’s membership effort — a move that Russia opposes and sees as part of an unsettling westward shift of former Soviet republics in the region. But overshadowing the meeting were the escalating tensions with Russia in the region as Moscow tries to reassert itself.

The latest missile threat from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev came under fire from NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who called the remarks unsolicited, unnecessary and unhelpful.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_gatesrussia_111308/%2e

[ixion]

1. and Obama is thinking about keeping this guy?

This neocon schmuck, who is hell bent on pissing off Russia? Do we really need this?

I mean, why is it so important that we deploy a missile shield that doesn't work?

Seems pretty stupid, if you ask me.