Russia Threatens Military Response to U.S. Missile Shield
WASHINGTON -- Echoing the bygone Cold War relationship between America and the Soviet Union, Russia's foreign ministry is threatening a military response if America moves forward with installing a missile defense system in the Czech Republic.
A statement from the foreign ministry in Moscow said Russia would be "forced to react not with diplomatic methods but with military-technical methods" if the proposed interceptor missiles are installed near Russia's borders. That statement was in response to a deal inked today between America and the Czechs to begin installing tracking radar and eventually interceptor missiles southwest of Prague.
The Pentagon today tried to calm tensions. Speaking to the Reuters news agency, a spokesman, Bryan Whitman said, "We have been very clear about what the missile defense system in Europe is for. It is not designed to counter a threat from Russia. We've been very clear about the emerging threat in the Middle East that we think could threaten not only the United States but our allies in Europe."
The latest national intelligence estimate for Iran's nuclear program said the Islamic Republic was developing long and medium range ballistic missiles that could be capable of hitting some continental European capitals.
The threat from the Russians comes just a day after the first meeting between Russia's new president, Dmitry Medvedev, and President Bush at the annual summit of the Group of Eight Industrialized nations.
