Gospodin Prezident, George W. is calling you ….
“Russland Aktuell” claims to have information from a source in in the Kremlin stating that President G.W. Bush has phoned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir V. Putin, suggesting intensive talks and a close cooperation reagarding the American“missile defense shield” to be installed in Poland and the Czech Republic.
President Bush is reported to have suggested talks on the basis of “common security interests”.
Henry Obering, the head of the missile defense project in the Pentagon, is reported to have claimed being open towards these “intensive talks”, to have even suggested the “exchange of data and technology” .
In the course of the phone call President Bush is reported to have suggested to include Western Russia into the shield. According to President Bush not only France, Germany and Italy could be “protected” by this shield, large parts of Russia as well.
Obering insisted that the “missile shield” is not intended to be directed against Russia. He also claimed that the shield was unable to “take down Russian missiles”.
The Czech government has announced its intention to enter negotiations with the USA regarding the “missile defense shield”. Until fall this year the negotiations regarding a radar site near Prague could be completed, the Czech parliament could then pass a bill on this topic early next year.
