Poland Expects Patriot In 09, US 'Yes' To Shield

Patriot Missile System (Photo from Military Images)

From Reuters:

WARSAW, May 18 (Reuters) - Poland expects a U.S. Patriot battery to be deployed on its soil in 2009 regardless of whether President Barack Obama opts to press ahead with missile defence plans in Europe, a senior defence official said on Monday.

NATO member Poland agreed last year to host 10 interceptors as part of a planned U.S. missile defence shield which is strongly opposed by Russia. In return, Washington pledged to help update Poland's air defences with, among others, a Patriot battery.

"We expect the Patriot battery to be deployed on Polish soil by the end of 2009, as initially agreed with the Americans. This is important for Polish public opinion," Deputy Defence Minister Stanislaw Komorowski told Reuters.

"Regardless of the decision (on missile defence), President Obama has said other cooperation with Poland, including strategic projects such as modernisation of our armed forces, will definitely be continued," Komorowski said in an interview.

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My Comment: Will President Obama keep his promise to the Polish people .... we shall see.