RUSSIA THREATENS POLAND WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS ON ACCEPTANCE OF U.S. ANTI-MISSILE PROGRAM

US chief negotiator John Rood (left) shakes on the deal with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. Photo: Reuters

Russia: Poland Risks Attack Because Of US Missiles
-- Yahoo News/AP

MOSCOW - A top Russian general said Friday that Poland's agreement to accept a U.S. missile interceptor base exposes the ex-communist nation to attack, possibly by nuclear weapons, the Interfax news agency reported.

The statement by Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn is the strongest threat that Russia has issued against the plans to put missile defense elements in former Soviet satellite nations.

Poland and the United States on Thursday signed a deal for Poland to accept a missile interceptor base as part of a system the United States says is aimed at blocking attacks by rogue nations. Moscow, however, feels it is aimed at Russia's missile force.

"Poland, by deploying (the system) is exposing itself to a strike — 100 percent," Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff, was quoted as saying.

Read more ....

More News On Poland, Russia, And The U.S.'s Anti-Missile Program

US missile shield makes Poland a target: Russian general -- AFP
Russia threatens to 'strike' Poland in wake of U.S. missile plan -- CBC
Russia Lashes Out on Missile Deal -- New York Times
US-Poland missile deal riles Russia -- The Age
Analysis: Russia raises prospect of nuclear stand off -- Telegraph
News Analysis: Russia-West tension may escalate over U.S. missile deal -- China View
Russia anger at US missile deal -- BBC News
Poland, U.S. sign missile shield deal -- CNN
Russia slams U.S./Poland missile shield deal -- Washington Post
Russia slams U.S./Poland missile shield deal -- Reuters

My Comment: This is why Russia finds this deal unacceptable:

(From the New York Times) Those fears were codified to some degree in what Polish and American officials characterized as unusual aspects of the final deal: that at least temporarily American soldiers would staff air defense sites in Poland oriented toward Russia, and that the United States would be obliged to defend Poland in case of an attack with greater speed than required under NATO, of which Poland is a member.

Just as the Georgian Government underestimated the Russian response to their incursion into South Ossetia, the Russian Government underestimated the response that their borderline countries would have to their invasion of Georgia.

The Russian Government has realized .... too late, that the borderline states of Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic are going to form alliances as quickly as possible to counter any aggression or intimidation from Moscow. The Polish deal with the U.S. on missile defense is just the start of what Russia fears will be more agreements with other countries.

I also expect that while most countries in Western Europe will be silent as Russia continues to make threats on its neighbors, they will however start (if not already) to assess their economic and political relationships with Russia. We can assume that any assessment will at its conclusion be detrimental to Russian affairs ... and Russia knows this. The G8, World Trade Organization, the International Space Station .... all of this is now on the table for discussion and .... for Russia .... to be not a part of.

To alleviate this situation, it is in Russia's interest to withdraw their forces from Georgia and to let the the diplomats work it out. Unfortunately, they are poorly positioned to do this because of Russian popular sentiment and strategic concerns with their neighbors.

I mentioned at the beginning of the Georgian/Russian war that the U.S. was in a lose - lose situation with this crisis. I can now say the same thing with Russia .... they may have won the battle, but they are poorly positioned to fight the war. In every scenario I see a lose - lose situation for them.