High-level Czech and U.S. defense officials met Friday in Prague to consider the role the Czech Republic might play in the Obama administration's revised missile defense plan for Europe, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Oct. 23).
Washington "did present ... some concrete ideas to begin that process of developing the Czech role in the new approach," said U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Alexander Vershbow. He added that part of the Czech Republic's role could be the hosting of "potential facilities here on the territory of the [country]."
Two weeks ago, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden secured Czech support of the revised missile defense plan.
In the missile defense plan put forth by the Bush administration, the Czech Republic would have hosted a large radar base for the detection of long-range missiles. Under the new program, land and sea-based missile interceptors are expected to be deployed around Europe, primarily as a hedge against possible short- and medium-range missiles launched from Iran (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Nov. 6).