Germany Warns US Over Missle Shield
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier this week in a newspaper article sent warnings to the US not to attempt to divide Europe into ‘New’ and ‘Old’ following US announcement of plans to deploy missiles into Poland and the Czech Republic as part of their unpopular Missile Shield program. Steinmeier warned such a move could lead to a new arms race in the region, a development which would run counter to Germany’s policy of increasing disarmament.
The minister also took the US to task for moving ahead with the program without first consulting it’s Russian allies. A move he says can only hurt relations between the two countries. He is expected to address this problem directly today as he visits Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The U.S. claims to have engaged in extensive talks with Moscow before deciding on placing the missiles, a move they say is designed not to create a new arms race but rather to defend Russia against “rogue states” such as Iraq and Iran.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Poland last week that the matter is one that should be dealt with by NATO and not by the U.S. alone. Warsaw however has recently stated that they desire a bilateral security agreement with the U.S. as they feel NATO cannot provide adequate protection against rogue states. Steinmeier raised fears that EU member countries working outside of NATO could cause a rift withing the EU governing body causing divisions into what former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld famously labeled the ‘Old’ and the ‘New’ Europe.
March 17 2007 12:54 am | Republicans and George Bush and NATO and Foreign Affairs and Condoleeza Rice
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