US radars in Europe, Caucasus don’t pose technical threat to Russia

PanARMENIAN.Net

The US radar stations in Europe and the Caucasus don’t pose any
technical threat to Russia

Countries in the Southern Caucasus, and even Georgia, displayed rare
unanimity and cautiousness towards the issue
04.03.2007 GMT+04:00

The Caucasus is in turmoil and the possible reason is Iran and in some
way Russia. Talks about `the new cold war’, which have lately become
more frequent, and the challenges the USA has to face regarding the
failures in Iraqi war, may indeed change the power balance not in the
region only, but in Europe too. The USA’s intentions to locate radar
stations in the Caucasus and in the Central Europe have become a
suitable ground for recurrent loud announcements made by Russian
military men and diplomats.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Announcements, if they are appropriate at all in
this case, must be made by the countries on which territories the
radar station is planned to be establishment, which by the way is the
pleasure not any country can afford. But the Russian Federation, on
account of the imperial ambitions left, has decided to take the lead
over the rest and to once again give `an adequate answer’. It should
be reminded, that the Pentagon, according to the announcement made by
the Director of the Missile Defense Agency Lieutenant General Henry
Obering, would like to have a radar station in the frames of the
establishing missile defense system in the Caucasus. As for the
countries in the Southern Caucasus, and even Georgia, they all
displayed rare unanimity and cautiousness towards the issue. According
to the representative of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Armenia hasn’t received any official calls from the USA regarding the
establishment of missile defense system in the territory of the
republic. It was also announced in the RA Ministry of Defense that the
issue of locating missile defense system isn’t discussed.

The Georgian Ministry of Defense refrains from making any comments
about the possibility of emplacing US missile defense radar system in
one of the countries in the Southern Caucasus. `We will not make any
comments on this issue yet. Perhaps something will change and we will
make official announcement’, said the public relations officer of the
Georgian Ministry of Defense in answer to the question whether or not
Georgia conducts negotiations with the USA on the issue of the radar
system establishment in the territory. In its turn the Ministry of
Defense of Azerbaijan denied the information about the possibility of
emplacing radars of the US missile defense in the territory of their
republic. By the way, three radar stations – one Russian and two
American – already exist in the territory of Azerbaijan. And if the US
radar station in Azerbaijan covers only the Middle East and the
Persian Gulf, the Russian radar station is considered one of the
largest ones in the world. In essence, the stations should be
established in Georgia. Armenia falls out for several reasons;
basically it is the availability of Russian military base and the
relief. The most interesting part of the whole story is that the
missile defense system is by no means against Russia. According to
research specialist at Paris-based Strategic Research Foundation Bruno
Grusselle the system aims at defense against Iran. In his interview he
states, `The shortest way between Tehran and Washington runs through
Central Europe. The planisphere distorts the distance that is why it
gives a quite different result.’ As for the supposed competence Russia
may face, the French expert thinks that the missile defense system,
which the Americans are establishing in California, Alaska and in
Europe, can’t pose any technical threat to the Russian systems, which
are distinguished with their large number and their high
manufacturability. `It cannot represent any technical threat, at least
because it is not situated in the right place. The missiles that
Russia may fire at the United States will be headed to north across
the Arctic, that’s why the American radar station in Tula and
Greenland is of great significance. Missile defense system aims at
protecting the American territory from any threats coming from Iran
and North Korea. Only ten interceptors will be emplaced in
Poland. Quite enough to intercept antediluvian missile’, emphasized
Gruselle. In a word the whole matter is in Iran. Iran is supposed to
be placing missiles with the range of 2 – 3000 kilometers. A missile
launched by Iran must be of range of 9 – 10000 kilometers to reach the
territory of the United States. Iran doesn’t possess such missiles and
it is very unlikely to have one of the mentioned ranges by the year of
2020. But in any case the American missile defense system will not be
put in operation by the year of 2012. As for Armenia, though it may
sound rather paradoxical, it will only benefit from the given
situation, since its safety is provided not only by the Russian
military base, but by NATO as well. True, this is only a supposition,
but it may turn out to be very close to the reality.

PanARMENIAN.Net» analytical department