Clinton Says Missile Shield to Protect From Iran(Not Russia)

[tekisui]

Source: Reuters

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated the United States' intention to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons on Tuesday but declined comment on a report Washington offered Russia a deal to help achieve that.

She was asked at a news conference with Israel's foreign minister in Jerusalem about a New York Times report that President Barack Obama wrote to Russia's president offering to hold off deploying a U.S. missile defence system in Europe in return for Russian help on obstructing Iran's nuclear programme.

Clinton said Washington shared Israel's concerns, denied by Tehran, that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons: "We intend to do all that we can to deter and prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons," she said, while repeating Obama's offer to engage with Iran under certain conditions.

On Russia, which opposes plans for a U.S. missile shield in Europe, she noted that she had met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov briefly on Monday at an international meeting and would meet him again for longer on Friday:

"What we have said specifically in regard to missile defence in Europe is that it has always been intended to deter any missiles that might come from Iran," Clinton said. "It remains our position. We have explained that to the Russians before."

"There's a broad agenda to discuss with the Russians. We're going to be starting that on Friday," she said of the planned meeting with Lavrov in Geneva.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE5222ON20090303

[PDJane]

1. One more time.

Anyone who actually believes that is naive as hell. The truth of the matter is that it is to preserve US capabilities for first strike. There is no other reason to protect against a non-existent threat. Tehran isn't interested in Poland.

The US, however, is willing to believe that if there is a missile shield in place in Poland, even if it has never been proven to work, any of those bad Russian missiles will get knocked out of the air fast enough for the US to send missiles in their direction. That way, of course, the majority of nuclear fallout will be over there, not over here, and we can "survive" it. It's cold war thinking, it relies on a premise that is absolutely contrary to fact, and it's getting old.

[tekisui]

2. I agree.

And, the further point....We are getting all sorts of mixed signals on Iran's capabilities and intentions. We are just told what ever is convenient for the current script.

[Johonny]

6. sadly they don't understand it's purpose

the missile defense was designed to be negotiated away. It was suppose to be an imaginary program that was used as a bargaining chip with the USSR. It also worked. Too bad the Cool Aid drinkers that follow in the 80s and 90s and now 00s don't understand how technically hard it is to hit one IBCM, yet alone a fleet. The money wasted on these defense systems would have been better spent tracking lose nukes, designing better cargo monitoring and chemical agent monitoring. All much more likely attack mechanisms than a rogue ICBM attack.

[bigtree]

3. yep

. . . her rationale for deploying the 'missile shield' is the same as the Bush administration's.

my take:

Phony Threat, Phony Defense
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1594286
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_ron_full_060709_phony_threat_2c_phony_.htm


Biden pledges to continue work on 'missile defense' to counter unspecific threat from Iran
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree/1307
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Biden-Commits-to-Missile-by-Ron-Fullwood-090207-911.html


related:

Sec. of State Clinton links future of missile defense plans to Iran's nuclear program
http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9886&Itemid=65

[One_Life_To_Give]

4. NSS

Anyone who believes you can 100% stop over 3000 inbound warheads is an idiot. 1 Sure, a dozen maybe, thousands and some will get thru.

[mmonk]

5. Pfffffffffft

:spray:

Does anyone keep believing that canard?