Missile Defense: Washington and Poland just moved the World closer to War

The signing on August 14 of an agreement between the governments of the United States and Poland to deploy on Polish soil US ‘interceptor missiles’ is the most dangerous move towards nuclear war the world has seen since the 1962 Cuba Missile crisis.

Far from a defensive move to protect European NATO states from a Russian nuclear attack, as military strategists have pointed out, the US missiles in Poland pose a total existential threat to the future existence of the Russian nation. The Russian Government has repeatedly warned of this since US plans were first unveiled in early 2007. Now, despite repeated diplomatic attempts by Russia to come to an agreement with Washington, the Bush Administration, in the wake of a humiliating US defeat in Georgia, has pressured the Government of Poland to finally sign the pact. The consequences could be unthinkable for Europe and the planet.

The preliminary deal to place elements of the US global missile defense shield was signed by Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer and US chief negotiator John Rood on August 14. Under the terms, Washington plans to place 10 interceptor missiles in Poland coupled with a radar system in the Czech Republic, which it ludicrously claims are intended to counter possible attacks from what it calls "rogue states," including Iran.

To get the agreement Washington agreed to reinforce Poland's air defenses. The deal is still to be approved by the two countries' governments and Poland's parliament. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in televised remarks that "the events in the Caucasus show clearly that such security guarantees are indispensable." The US-Polish missile talks had been dragging for months before recent hostilities in Georgia.

The Bush White House Press spoksperson, Dona Perino stated, officially, "We believe that missile defense is a substantial contribution to NATO's collective security." Officials say the interceptor base in Poland will be opened by 2012. The Czech Republic signed a deal to host a US radar on July 8.

The signing now insures an escalation of tensions between Russia and NATO and a new Cold War arms race in full force. It is important for readers to understand, as I detail painstakingly in my book, to be released this autumn, Full Spectrum Dominance: The National Security State and the Spread of Democracy, the ability of one of two opposing sides to put anti-missile missiles to within 90 miles of the territory of the other in even a primitive first-generation anti-missile missile array gives that side virtual victory in a nuclear balance of power and forces the other to consider unconditional surrender or to pre-emptively react by launching its nuclear strike before 2012. Senior Russian lawmakers said on Friday the agreement would damage security in Europe, and reiterated that Russia would now have to take steps to ensure its security.

Andrei Klimov, deputy head of the Russian State Duma's international affairs committee, said the deal was designed to demonstrate Warsaw's "loyalty to the US and receive material benefits. For the Americans, it is an opportunity to expand its military presence across the world, including closer to Russia. For NATO, this is an additional risk...many NATO countries are unhappy with this, including the Germans and the French."

Klimov called the agreement "a step back" toward the Cold War.

Russian response

The US plans to deploy a radar in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in northern Poland as part of a US-controlled missile shield for Europe and North America, has been officially sold under the ludicrous argument that it is against possible attacks from "rogue states," including Iran. Last Spring then Russian President Vladimir Putin exposed the shallowness of the US propaganda line by offering a startled President Bush that Russia would offer the US use of Russian leased radar facilities in Azerbaijan on the Iran border to far better monitor Iran missile launches. The Bush Administration simply ignored the offer, exposing that their real target is Russia not "rogue states like Iran." Russia rightly views deployment of the US missile shield as a threat to its national security.

The latest Polish agreement advances a Russian response.

Russian officials earlier said Moscow could deploy its Iskander tactical missiles and strategic bombers in Belarus and Russia's westernmost exclave of Kaliningrad if Washington succeeded in its missile shield plans in Europe. Moscow also warned it could target its missiles on Poland.

Russia is also discussing to put in place an orbital ballistic missile system in response to US missile defense plans for Central Europe, according to a senior Russian military expert.

"A program could be implemented to create orbital ballistic missiles capable of reaching US territory via the South Pole, skirting US air defense bases," said Col. Gen. Viktor Yesin, former chief of staff of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, now vice president of the Academy of Security, Defense and Law Enforcement Studies.

Previously as part of the post Cold War agreements with the US, agreements which have been ´significantly ignored by Washington as it pushed the borders of NATO ever closer to Moscow’s doorstep, the Soviet Union had abandoned such missiles in accordance with the START I Treaty.

Obama backs missile defense too

The deal would further divide European countries into what Barack Obama’s foreign policy adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski calls openly, US "vassals" and those pursuing more independent policies.

Any illusions that a Democratic Obama Presidency would mean a rollback of such provocative NATO and US military moves of recent years should be dismissed as dangerous wishful thinking. Obama’s foreign policy team in addition to father Zbigniew Brzezinski, includes Brzezinski’s son, Ian Brzezinski, current US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Affairs. Ian Brzezinski is a devout backer of US missile defense policy, as well as Kosovo independence and NATO expansion into Ukraine and Georgia.

F. William Engdahl is a frequent contributor to Global Research. Global Research Articles by F. William Engdahl


US Missile Defense In Europe Becomes A Reality

Missile Defense vs 1994 Topol M (NATO name SS-27 STALIN)

The RT-2UTTH «Topol-M» (Russian: РТ-2УТТХ «Тополь-М») is the most recent intercontinental ballistic missile to be deployed by Russia, and the first to be developed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In its Russian designation РТ stands for "ракета твердотопливная" ("solid fuel rocket"), while УТТХ - for "улучшенные тактико-технические характеристики" ("improved tactical and technical characteristics"). It has been assigned the NATO reporting name SS-27. "Topol" (тополь) in Russian means "poplar". It is designed and produced exclusively by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, and built at the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant.The current Topol-M ICBMs are 22.7 m (74.47 ft) in length and have a diameter of 1.95 m (6.3 ft). The mass at launch is 47,200 kg (104,000 lb). This figure includes its 1000 ~ 1200 kilogram payload. It carries a single warhead with a 550 kT yield, but could be modified to carry up to six warheads. Part of the Russian launchers will be upgraded starting in 2007. Its range is estimated to be 11,000 km (6,900 mi). It has three solid rocket stages with inertial, autonomous flight control.

The development began in the late 1980s, and the missile was redesigned in 1992. The first flight test took place on December 20, 1994, and first deployment occurred in December of 1997 in modified SS-19 silos. First silo-based regiment was declared operational in 1998, followed by three others in 1999, 2000, and 2003.

The Topol-M may be deployed either inside a reinforced missile silo or from a self-propelled mobile launcher, capable of moving through roadless terrain, and launching a missile from any point along its route.

As of December 2005, 42 have been deployed (69 are planned for purchase to 2015).
December 12, 2006 Topol-M missiles entered duty with a missile unit stationed near the town of Teikovo, the agency ITAR TASS quoted Strategic Missile Forces spokesman Col. Alexander Vovk

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov had said earlier this year that Russia's Strategic Missile Forces would get 69 Topol-M missiles by 2015.Russia so far has deployed about 40 silo-based Topol-Ms.There has been work on new propulsion systems for the Topol-M which may enable it to evade an anti-ballistic missile.The missile is designed to be immune to any planned US ABM defense. It is said to be capable of making evasive maneuvers to avoid a kill by terminal phase interceptors, and is likely to carry targeting countermeasures and decoys. It is shielded against radiation, EMP, nuclear blasts in distances less than 500 meters, and is designed to survive a hit from any laser technology.Yuri Solomonov, the General Designer of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, reportedly stated that a test of the new propulsion system resulted in the warhead payload burning up on reentry over the Svobodny launch site it is unclear if this is due to the new engine design or other problems with the missile.According to The Washington Times, Russia conducted a successful test of their evasive payload delivery system. The missile was launched on November 1, 2005 from the Kapustin Yar facility. The warhead changed course after separating from the launcher, making it difficult to predict a re-entry trajectory.A submarine-launched version is being developed under the code name Bulava, or the NATO reporting name SS-NX-30.On December 15 2006 Moscow reported that the Topol-M soon would be re-equipped with multiple re-entry vehicles. Later the Russian Colonel-General Nikolai Solovtsov said: "We will begin to equip the Topol-M mobile missile system with multiple re-entry vehicles in a few years."

RT-2UTTH Topolwas designed to be immune to any planned US Anti-Ballistic-Missile defense. It is capable of making evasive maneuvers to avoid a kill by terminal phase interceptors, and carries targeting countermeasures and decoys. It is shielded against radiation, EMP, nuclear blasts and is designed to survive a hit from any laser technology.

According to The Washington Times, Russia conducted a successful test of their evasive payload delivery system. The missile was launched on November 1, 2005 from the Kapustin Yar facility. The warhead changed course after separating from the launcher, making it difficult to predict a re-entry trajectory.

RT-2UTTH Topol-M ICBM