Bush's Latest Diplomatic Debacle

Posted on June 5, 2007

Russian President Vladimir Putin is quite peeved over the U.S.' proposed missile shield. In fact, he's been making some pretty obnoxious, aggressive statements to the effect that if we implement the shield, he will aim missiles at Western Europe -- which is patently absurd. The idea that Russia is going to fire missiles at France just because we build a defensive missile shield is ridiculous. Russia has a lucrative deal with Iran over nuclear technology -- this sounds like Tehran is getting Putin to put up a fuss just for show. And now China is getting into the fray and voicing its strong objections to the plan. Not that it's any of their business.

Bush dismissed those concerns. He said he will make his case directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit. "My message will be Vladimir - I call him Vladimir - that you shouldn't fear a missile defense system," Bush said. "As a matter of fact, why don't you cooperate with us on a missile defense system. Why don't you participate with the United States."

The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, said it was significant that Bush promised to make "maximum efforts" to explain his position to Putin. "We have pointed it out to our guest that it is very important that we win maximum support for this project of the Czech Republic who are very sensitive to those issues," Klaus said. "I suppose this is what President Bush clearly realizes." Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek endorsed the plan as well.
China joined Russia on Tuesday in criticizing the U.S. plan, saying the anti-missile system could set off an arms race. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the proposal "is not conducive to mutual trust of major nations and regional security." Most Czechs aren't happy about the proposal for a U.S. anti-missile radar base to be built at the Brdy military zone southwest of their capital. Recent polls here show more than 60 percent of the public in opposition.
Bush appeared with his hosts in a high-ceilinged hall of Prague Castle. Although the event was billed as a press conference, the three leaders took no questions. Despite Bush's declaration that the Cold War is over, the international debate over the missile defense system likely will drown out everything else during his stay in Prague. The White House has billed a speech Bush will deliver on democracy at Czernin Palace as the highlight of his visit here. His Czech counterparts expressed some complaints, such as a two-tiered visa system for European nations that leaves their citizens out in the cold.
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Over the weekend, Putin stepped up already incendiary remarks about the U.S. and its intentions with the shield, warning that Moscow could take "retaliatory steps" including aiming nuclear weapons at U.S. military bases in Europe. Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, called this sort of talk "not helpful." Still, he, the president and other U.S. officials have sought to cool down the situation - to no avail. They insist the network is meant to protect NATO allies against a missile launch from Iran, not Russia.

As usual, Bush's foreign policy is a total disaster. This situation has been so mishandled that we now have the president of Russia threatening Western Europe. Not that he's really going to attack Europe, of course. But it's still a total diplomatic debacle.