President Barack Obama used “new approach” a couple of times to describe a shift in U.S. missile defense policy, but his statement was so steeped in diplo-speak that it led to much initial head-scratching over what was actually new and different. 
It was left to Defense Secretary Robert Gates to shoot down as “misinformed” raging speculation that the United States was scrapping missile defense in Europe. He said the United States would initially deploy ships equipped with missile interceptors to Europe.
Keep in mind that Gates was also defense secretary under President George W. Bush who had pushed for the agreements to build missile interceptors and radar in Poland and the Czech Republic — a move that had royally angered Russia.
Obama appeared to be trying to stay a step ahead of the expected onslaught of Republican criticism that he was going soft on national security.
He started off by reminding everyone that he was commander-in-chief (something his predecessor did quite frequently), and in the next breath said “I’m committed to doing everything in my power to advance our national security.”
It didn’t take long for the Republican floodgates to open up. Senator Richard Shelby said Obama’s decision “to appease Russia is misguided at best and dangerous at worst.”
Bush stood firm against Russia’s irritation at the missile defense plan. Obama must see greater benefit to removing that thorn from U.S.-Russian relations.
What do you think are the benefits or dangers of the “new approach” ?
Click here for more Reuters political coverage
Photo Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing (Obama talks about missile defense)
Trackback
16 comments so far
WHATEVER our reliance on missile defense and fear of our enemies, we ALL need to understand where our real power is.
Those nations that were relying on the Missile Defense Shield need to see this as a good thing. God’s law is, “That which you fear shall come upon you.” The Russians were ready to fulfill that with their own devises on the borders. Fear breeds fear. Fear breeds violence. Both are the devil’s tools and the devil’s territory.
People who know God lives need to remember the guidance He gave through Jesus Christ to love our enemies and do good to them that persecute you. The reason is because that is the best way to disarm an enemy. It gives them no reason to come after you. It is the same whether people consider riots on a small scale in Tibet, or small town America, Whether it is on the borders of Iran and North Korea, or Israel-Palestine, or among tribal groups around the world it is the same law and policy needed to end the violence.
We need to remember and “believe that God lives and is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him.” He is also a righteous judge who must judge by His His law. Leviticus 26 shows us the past, the present and the future and gives us great reason to love and fear, Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is One God, the God of all the earth and He is our savior when we follow His wisdom. Let us remove the devil’s tools from conflict decisions and replace them with the word of God as IT IS WRITTEN, not as religions have turned from truth.
- Posted by Marie DevineWhat he is doing could be one of two reasons,1) he gave Iran an warning that he would gave them till sometime in September to stop preparing to enrich uranium,and they are laughing at him.So he hopes that Russia will give him some leverage 2}this is more sinister, that he is trying to give the impression to the Arabs that Israel has not got the total commitment from us that they have had in the past.the first one is the lesser of two evils it could be just another example of his appeasement policies.The second is significantly more dangerous,because if Israel think for one minute that Obama is going to bend with Iran then THEY will take them out,which could lead to an all out war.It is not politics with Israel it is survival.
- Posted by brian leeI do think that we as a country are too busy defending other people and not taking care of our own people. Money for a missile defense sheild but not money for health care. 75 billion a year for intellegence,but no money for health care. Our country can only be strong when the people are strong. If Israel, Germany,Korea, and England want defensive systems let them build their own. Bring the troops home. Our railroads, roads, and manufacturing is in bad need of repair, so spend the money here. Enough of John McCain.
- Posted by f belzOk, thanks Marie for the comment.
- Posted by John KMaybe the easter bunny and Leprauchans should be included too!
Missile Defense, hitting a bullet with a bullet, what nonsense. President Obama is smart in that we not only can’t afford this dubious program our money would be better spent on Health Care and Education. No one ever talks about the economics of war and who it really benefits.
- Posted by MARCUSBenefits and dangers for the “new approach”. New approach? I don’t see a new approach. Cheap talk is what I see. Obama’s current role is smoke and mirrors due to enormous political pressure from everything he’s trying to do. I think he’s buying time and treading lightly while his health care and fascist government take-over is being crammed through. Obama is trying to fulfill that false sense that his is the anti-war administration which is crumbling more and more each day. Quite honestly I doubt there will actually be a missile system built that close to Russia. That’s too good of a card to keep in play in the international cat and mouse game and a handy tool to sum up a political candidates’ stance on international defense. My opinion on the underlying issue…… For politicians, it’s all politics… For me, I would no way want to build a missile defense system that close to Russian borders for I wouldn’t want them on my borders just the same. But if there was an urgent call to do something like that… I sure would keep it much much quieter.
- Posted by jasonIt is unfortunate that Obama decided to make this announcement on the 70th anniversary of Sept 17, 1939, when Soviet Russia joined Hitler in invading Poland at the start of WWII…
- Posted by Paulf belz, we have two options,we fight our enemies on their turf ,or on our turf.
- Posted by brian leeThe Democrats better hope another terrorist punch does not occur on US soil for you have not seen anything yet. If Obama had to leave Washington last weekend to avoid protestors, he will have to leave the planet if any attack occurs on his watch.
- Posted by Alpha_BloggerObama did it today because he is not a student of history. Are we doomed to repeat?
- Posted by Earl DukeLeftists, er, Progressives, do not study history. They write a history that conforms with their goals, and then do what their childish idealism leads them to do.
- Posted by Noah LehrThanks Marie for your right wing rantings and you too Noah for ignoring the fact that the last administration completely ignored history and twisted facts to involve the U.S. in a ground war in Iraq, leading to over 4,500 American lives lost, tens of thousands of civilian deaths, billions of dollars the government didn’t have spent - the net result of which was to fatten the pockets of Halliburton and all of the other defense contractor friends of Cheney and Bush! All to meet a false threat from an already castrated dictator who after the first Gulf War posed no threat to his neighbors or the U.S. In fact, Hussein kept Al Qaeda out of Iraq when he was in power! Now Iraq has become a hotbed for Al Qaeda activity.
- Posted by Moderate MikeAt least this administration recognizes the threats America faces are from terrorists and rogue governments, not Cold War era intercontinental ballistic missiles from nations which no longer possess a viable nuclear arsenal.
This administration is at least doing something in Afghanistan to find the perpetrators of 09/11 – remember Osama Bin Laden? The Saudi terrorist?
I see the usual suspects are on the attack, arguing that this will appease our “enemies” and leave Europe exposed to an Iranian attack. These arguments are not based in fact, as not only do the cancelled missile defense systems have significant technological shortfalls, but they would also fail to protect against Iranian missiles because of both their location and technological advances in Iranian missile technology. Furthermore, from a geopolitical perspective, the European missile defense was a disaster. It worsened relations with Russia without even providing a credible defense against their nuclear arsenal, further undercutting nonproliferation efforts. Because there is no strategic benefit to maintaining the program — either militarily or diplomatically — the Obama administration has wisely and correctly decided to eliminate this program and to develop a more adaptable missile defense system that better protects Europe
- Posted by getplaninggetplaning it was never on the agenda that Iran would attack eastern europe.If you believe this then there is a bit of naivety here.The threat is and always has been Israel,and any appeasement to the Iranians is never going to change this, if you differ then the naivety is more deep seated than we first diagnosed.I said in a past posting that a business friend of mine returned from Israel about a month ago and there is a certain amount of anxiousness as to Obama,s motives,in that region.
- Posted by brian leeSo the threat has always been Israel? Wow, brian, you are more lost than I thought. Israel is not going to attack Eastern Europe, my friend. However, you are partially correct, Israel has attacked its neighbors time and time again, without consequence. Iran has not invaded or attacked a neighboring country in over 100 years, and is not showing any intentions of doing so today. My bet is on Israel to attack again, further aggravating people who will retaliate not against Israel, but against America. Perhaps it does not occur to you or your Israeli friends that Obama is trying to head off another attack on America by trying to bring a peaceful end to the problem of Israel and Palestine. Perhaps the anxiousness of your friend comes from the fact that Israel’s only real enemy in the region is peace.
- Posted by getplaningHi getpaning,my”truth seeking” friend ,Ahmadinejad repeated his statement this week that the holocaust was a lie obviously not trying to aggravate anybody like you suggest the Israeli have a tendency to do.It will be interesting to see how many captured Iranians they want Iraq to hand over in exchange for the 3 American hikers?
- Posted by brian lee