U.S. missile shield plan nearly final, Czechs say

George C. Landrith

The Czech Republic expects to finalize details this week in Washington of a plan to play host to part of a U.S. missile defense shield, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said Monday.

Topolanek is due to meet President George W. Bush on Wednesday to discuss the shield, which has drawn strong criticism from Russia. Bush and Topolanek will also discuss a plan to drop a U.S. visa requirement for Czechs.

The U.S. administration wants to deploy 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of a global shield against long-range ballistic missiles.

"Talks on the controversial issues" regarding the radar station "are ready for completion during my visit to Washington," Topolanek said at a news conference.

But he said that it would take additional time to sign the agreements, and that the Czech Republic would coordinate its steps with Poland.

The United States says the shield will protect it and its allies from attack by what it calls "rogue" states, including Iran and North Korea. The plan has been strongly opposed by Russia, which regards it as a threat to its security.

The acting under secretary of state for arms control, John Rood, said last week he was very optimistic about the negotiations with the Polish and Czech governments, but he did not say when they could be completed.

Topolanek said both the Czech Republic and Poland wanted to complete the deals in time for a NATO summit meeting in Bucharest in April.

The Czechs have been pushing for a NATO endorsement of the missile defense plan because they see it as a potential boost for the alliance. Alliance approval would also help the government ratify the treaty in the Czech Parliament.

On visas, Czech and American officials are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding that will end a U.S. visa requirement for Czech visitors, possibly by the end of this year.

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This story was originally published by the the Associated Press on Monday, February 25, 2008

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Mr. Landrith is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was Business Editor of the Virginia Journal of Law and Politics. He had a successful law practice in business and litigation. In 1994 and 1996, Mr. Landrith was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's Fifth Congressional District. He served on the Albemarle County School Board. Mr. Landrith is an adjunct professor at the George Mason School of Law. He is recognized as an authority on constitutional law and jurisprudence, federalism, global warming, and property rights.

george@ff.org