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NEWS AND VIEWS THAT IMPACT LIMITED CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with
power to endanger the public liberty." - - - - John Adams

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Turkey and Romania join NATO missile shield

Iranian Television shows the launch of a Shahab-3 missile, which officials have said has a range of 1,250 miles and is armed with a 1-ton conventional warhead.  Iran test-fired nine long- and medium-range missiles on Wednesday, July 9, 2008


Iran says Turkey’s decision to host the radar system would create tension and lead to “complicated consequences.”


An early warning radar will be stationed in Turkey’s southeast as part of NATO’s missile defense system, the Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday. The deployment reflects improving relations with the United States, which were strained after the invasion of Iraq.

The system is capable of countering ballistic missile threats from Turkey’s neighbor Iran, which has warned Turkey that deploying the radar at the military installation will escalate regional tensions. Turkey insists the shield does not target a specific country, and the ministry statement didn’t mention Iran.

A military installation in Kurecik has been designated as the radar site.  Kurecik, in Malatya province, lies some 435 miles west of the Iranian border.

The deployment in Turkey, the biggest Muslim voice in NATO, signals improving ties with Washington since the 2003 Iraq invasion. Turkey also closely works with U.S. forces in NATO operations in Afghanistan and Libya, though it is not directly involved in combat.

Turkey confirmed talks with the U.S. for possible deployment of Predator drones on its soil after the U.S. leaves Iraq. The U.S. currently shares drone surveillance data with Turkey to aid its fight against Kurdish rebels who have bases in Iraq. Turkish authorities did not specify if they want armed drones or just surveillance ones.


Romania signs missile deal

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meanwhile on Tuesday signed an agreement to base anti-missile interceptors in Romania under the same NATO missile defense plan that has angered Russia. Clinton signed the agreement with Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi and said the U.S. expected to deploy the interceptor missiles at a Romanian air force base in approximately four years.

President Barack Obama also on Tuesday held unscheduled talks with Romania’s President Traian Basescu, to seal the newly signed accord.

Russia has agreed to cooperate on the initiative but disagrees over its implementation, saying it should be a single integrated shield rather than two separate defense systems. The U.S. originally planned to install its anti-missile shield in Poland and neighboring Czech Republic, aimed at countering Iran. But that plan, which angered Russia after it saw itself as the target for the shield system, was scrapped by Obama in September 2009.

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