Poland rebuffs U.S. missile-shield offer

Domestic security is a sticking point in talks

By Vanessa Gera ASSOCIATED PRESS | Saturday, July 5, 2008

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WARSAW | Poland's prime minister said Friday that the latest U.S. offer to persuade his country to accept a missile-defense facility is unsatisfactory, but stressed that he expects negotiations to continue.

Donald Tusk said that any deal must increase Poland's security. He said his government thinks the latest offer, made earlier this week, does not fulfill that requirement.

However, Mr. Tusk made clear Warsaw's decision was not a final rejection of the U.S. plan to place 10 missile-defense interceptors in Poland as part of a shield against a possible Iranian attack.

"I wouldn't talk about the end, suspension or interruption," he said at a news conference. "Negotiations, in my opinion, are continuing."

U.S. officials in Poland could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

Russia has vehemently opposed the U.S. plans to place the site in Poland, as well as a linked radar-tracking system in the Czech Republic, and has threatened to target both countries with missiles of its own.

Without citing Russia's opposition to the plan explicitly, Mr. Tusk argued that placing a missile-defense facility in Poland, a Soviet satellite during the Cold War, would create new security threats.

"The installation of the missile shield in Poland increases above all the security of the United States. That's important for us, for the whole world," Mr. Tusk said. "However, the fact that the installation would be built on Polish territory also increases certain risks and threats for Poland."

So far, "in the key issue of increasing Poland's security, we didn't achieve a result that would be satisfactory to Poland," Mr. Tusk said. "We are waiting for an answer and declaration from the U.S. side on this key demand."

Poland has demanded the additional security guarantee of a short-range Patriot missile battery on its soil.

Mr. Tusk said the latest U.S. offer fell short because it proposed placing a Patriot missile battery in Poland only temporarily, rather than permanently, as Warsaw has demanded.

"Air-defense elements that would specifically defend Polish territory are absolutely key for Poland," he said. "A temporary visit by such weapons, guaranteed only for one year, naturally does not increase our sense of security."

Mr. Tusk did not say whether there were other sticking points.

Poland's announcement delivers a potential setback to President Bush's plans to secure the European missile-defense system sites before he leaves office in January.

cAssociated Press writers Ryan Lucas and Monika Scislowska contributed to this report

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