ro-h2o
07-07-2009, 08:41 PM
Chad Groening - OneNewsNow
A retired naval officer and national defense expert doesn't think it is wise for President Barack Obama to make any agreement with Russia that limits U.S. plans to deploy a defensive missile shield in Eastern Europe.
At a joint news conference in Moscow on Monday with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, President Obama said he expects to complete a review of the U.S. plan for building missile defense systems in Europe by the end of the summer.
Obama said that once the review is finished he will provide the Russian government with his assessment of how to resolve differences over the project. Russia strongly opposes the U.S. project, which was initiated by the administration of President George W. Bush.
Earlier, the two leaders issued a joint statement that indicated no breakthrough on missile defense, which is one of the most divisive issues they face. Cdr. Kirk Lippold (USN-Ret.), the senior military fellow at Military Families United, believes Obama must insist that the Eastern European sites are essential for security in the region.
"You have to have some type of shield in order to defend not only the U.S., but our allies as well. And that's why this missile shield is so important," he contends. "It is in their back yard, but by the same token, the Russians have always had a certain degree of paranoia about anything affecting their sphere of influence."
And Lippold says the Russians have a proven track record of being untrustworthy.
"All you have to do is look at how they treat Europe and their satellite countries with respect to natural gas. Anytime they start doing something they don't like, they cut their gas off," he points out. "If you can't rely on people to be able to heat your home, you certainly can't rely on them to back you when it comes to military issues."
According to Lippold, the Russians will always look out for themselves first and the U.S. should be quite careful about how much they are willing to trust them.
A retired naval officer and national defense expert doesn't think it is wise for President Barack Obama to make any agreement with Russia that limits U.S. plans to deploy a defensive missile shield in Eastern Europe.
At a joint news conference in Moscow on Monday with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, President Obama said he expects to complete a review of the U.S. plan for building missile defense systems in Europe by the end of the summer.
Obama said that once the review is finished he will provide the Russian government with his assessment of how to resolve differences over the project. Russia strongly opposes the U.S. project, which was initiated by the administration of President George W. Bush.
Earlier, the two leaders issued a joint statement that indicated no breakthrough on missile defense, which is one of the most divisive issues they face. Cdr. Kirk Lippold (USN-Ret.), the senior military fellow at Military Families United, believes Obama must insist that the Eastern European sites are essential for security in the region.
"You have to have some type of shield in order to defend not only the U.S., but our allies as well. And that's why this missile shield is so important," he contends. "It is in their back yard, but by the same token, the Russians have always had a certain degree of paranoia about anything affecting their sphere of influence."
And Lippold says the Russians have a proven track record of being untrustworthy.
"All you have to do is look at how they treat Europe and their satellite countries with respect to natural gas. Anytime they start doing something they don't like, they cut their gas off," he points out. "If you can't rely on people to be able to heat your home, you certainly can't rely on them to back you when it comes to military issues."
According to Lippold, the Russians will always look out for themselves first and the U.S. should be quite careful about how much they are willing to trust them.