European Missile Defense Delay?

Following tense talks with the Russian Federation last week, the United States has now proposed delaying activation of their new European Missile Defense System.

Attempting to allay Russian fears regarding a U.S. plan to install a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has proposed delaying the system’s activation until there is concrete intelligence that Iran has long-range missiles.

Current plans are for construction to begin next year with activation by 2013, though agreements have yet to be reached with Poland and the Czech Republic. The agreement with Poland is no slam dunk, as the opposition Civic Platform Party won a recent parliamentary election and they are more skeptical about the system than the outgoing Law and Justice Party.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is not likely to go along with this proposal. Putin is vehemently against this system being located anywhere except within Russia’s borders, where he would maintain some control over its use. He is not going to sit back without a fight and allow the Bush administration to build such a system in his backyard, based on the promise of delayed activation.

Putin may see the situation differently if it were a coalition of European nations behind the system’s construction. However, this would be a U.S. system, and Putin does not trust the Bush administration. I realize that Iran may be a threat, but based on Bush’s track record around the world, I fully understand Putin’s mistrust.

Also, let’s not forget that just last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice publicly criticized Putin’s centralization of power. I think it is time for the Bush administration to stop acting like the U.S. is superior to other countries and learn how to play nice and make friends and allies.