Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says new U.S. missile defense plans in the Czech Republic and Poland could weaken ties between the countries and the United States. He also says new policies indicate more willingness to warm up to Russia. (1:38)
By Ravi Bhatia, Talk Radio News Service
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed Friday the U.S agenda for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), touching on issues such as the Obama administration’s missile defense strategy, the conflict in the Middle East, nuclear proliferation and the threat posed by Iran.
While she read her speech at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C., she discussed the “ambitious” intentions of the Obama administration at next week’s UNGA in New York, and alluded to a long term goal of a world “with no nuclear weapons.” While fielding questions, she reflected on the state of American foreign policy today.
“For many years, [the U.S] outsourced our policy and concerns about the nuclear program to others to try to intervene with and persuade Iran to change course,” she said. “So we were on the sidelines…we were just trying to figure out how to get other people to go on the field and deal with this problem and look where we are today. We’re really nowhere.”
Clinton also discussed the Obama administration’s missile defense strategy, which was retooled to focus on defending the United States and its allies in Europe from short and mid-range missile attacks. The strategy rejects the Bush administration’s plan to station interceptors in the Czech Republic and Poland that were intended to stop long-range missiles that the current administration believes Iran does not have. Since Poland and the Czech Republic will no longer have land-based interceptors, the new plan eases pressure on Russia, displeasing some Republican members of Congress upon Obama’s announcement of the strategy on Thursday.
“This decision was not about Russia,” she said. “It was about Iran and the threat its ballistic missile program poses. Because of this position, we believe we will be in a far stronger position to deal with that threat and to do so with technology that works and a higher degree of confidence that what we pledge to do we can actually deliver.”
She later discussed Iran and the repercussions the country must face for not revealing its intentions to the international community for nuclear technology.
“Our concern is not Iran’s right to develop peaceful nuclear energy, but its responsibility to demonstrate that it’s program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes,” she said. “This is not hard to do. The Iranian government seeks a sense of justice in the world, but stands in the way of the justice it seeks.”
In response to a question from Brookings Institute President Strobe Talbott, Clinton also discussed the U.S. government’s strategy for restructuring the country’s health care policy.
“It’s interesting that what we are proposing is fundamentally so conservative compared with so many of our friends and allies around the world, who do a much better job then we do in covering everybody and keeping costs down,” Clinton said. “And yet some of the political opposition is so overheated. We have to calm down here, take two aspirin, go to bed, think about it in the morning. But I’m optimistic.”
By Ravi Bhatia-Talk Radio News Service
A number of high ranking Congressional Republicans Thursday protested President Barack Obama’s recent decision to scrap an Eastern European based missile defense system.
Ranking Member of the House Committee on Armed Services Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Michael Turner and House Chairman Michael Pence (R-Ind.) all delivered statements.
“We’re seeing this administration’s real national security policy emerge,” McKeon said. “The administration is capitulating to Russia’s demands, rewarding Russia for its divisive policies and actions.”
The plan eliminates former President George W. Bush’s planned missile defense system, which would have deployed either a radar system in the Czech Republic or 10 ground-based interceptors in Poland in order to deter long range and short range missiles. Instead, the Obama administration will use a system aimed more toward intercepting shorter-range missiles from Iran, which Defense Secretary Robert Gates believes pose a more immediate threat.
“The sudden turnaround, the sudden release of new intelligence information – that has not come the way of the Hill – is puzzling, to say the least,” Cantor said. “We await the answers associated with that turnaround from our administration.”
Cantor also said that he hoped Vice President Joe Biden was “misquoted” when he said he was much less concerned about Iran because Iran does not have the potential capacity to launch a missile at the United States.
“To me, implicit in [Biden’s] statement is that we should not naturally concern ourselves with the threat to our allies in Europe, to our allies in the Middle East such as Israel,” Cantor said.
Acording to Michael Turner, the Obama administration has cut missile defense funding by $1.2 billion. He also said that the plan will not provide the United States with long range missile defense until 2020, while the former plan would have considered long range missile defense as early as 2013.
“They’re retreating from the deployment of a missile defense shield in Europe,” he said.
“The Obama administration is continuing a policy of appeasement at the expense of our allies,” Pence said. “History teaches that weakness and appeasement invite aggression against peaceful nations.”
Rep.n Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.) says that the new missile strategy detailed by Barack Obama Thursday “undercuts” allies and “caves in” to Russia. (0:47)
William Pomeranz, Deputy Director of WWC’s Kennan Institute, says the START renewal negotiations took up most of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and President Barack Obama’s attention, and left little time room for discussions on the U.S.’s missile defense shield in Poland. Pomeranz argues that President Obama was not ready to admit that he would discontinue this project. (0:36)
Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen addresses the renewal of the START I treaty, which was ratified by Russia and the United States in 1991 in an attempt by both nations to achieve a dramatic reduction in strategic forces. Cohen also discusses the possibility that START be renewed before it expires at the end 2009. Cohen insists that it is not too late to solve the issue as long as both countries show determination in the process. (0:27)
Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen says that in order to increase ties with Russia, delegates from both the U.S and Russia should exchange visits. Cohen argues that this will help “break barriers” that stand between both countries. (0:16)
Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen warns that the U.S. could fall into a cold, or even a hot, war if Americans and Russians fail at their reconciliation effort. Cohen says that the U.S and Russia must remain in contact with each other to avoid the possibility that each nation will “demonize” the other. (0:29)
Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen argues that, as a long-time economic partner of Iran, Russia may play a critical role in reducing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But, Cohen adds that Russia may want to avoid tension with Iran because of its commercial interests in the Middle-Eastern state. (0:31)
Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen says the U.S. must figure out what role it wants Russia to play in the world. Among other things, Cohen says Russia can be either a “perennial adversary”or an “ally.” (0:44)
