Anti-missile system in CzechRep, Poland the most effective - Bush

The USA wants to build its anti-missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland so that the system that is to protect a majority of NATO allies is the most effective, U.S. President George W. Bush told today's issue of Czech paper daily Mlada fronta Dnes and another four European dailies.

Bush reiterated in the interview that the U.S. anti-missile defence is not directed against Russia that disagrees with the Americans' plans.

It aims at rogue regimes, Bush said adding that is why he had sent Defense Secretary Robert Gates to explain the U.S. plans to the Russian leaders.

Bush said the Americans are transparent and that they invite the Russians to participate in the thing.

He added that the United States wants Russia to have an insight into its technologies, and invited Russians to come and have a look at everything.

Bush said the Cold War has ended, but there are threats by extremists who are ready to kill in order to push through their ideology.

Asked what the U.S. Administration offers to Poland where silos for missiles are to built in order to win over its support for the base, Bush said that Poland as well as the United States are in NATO, which means that an attack on either of them would be an attack on the other.

He said that the Americans can offer no better security guarantee to anyone and that they mean it.

The planned anti-missile shield will not protect the southeastern part of NATO, including Bulgaria. Bush said in this connection that the shield is to protect states against long-range missiles. Bulgaria will be protected by the NATO defence system that can destroy medium-range missiles.

Bush said it is just this what he wants to emphasise when he visits Bulgaria. He said, however, that his priority goal naturally is to persuade states in European countries' not distant vicinity not to threaten anyone.

Bush said he fears very much that Iran will build a missile with a nuclear charge that could reach Europe or the territory of any other ally. The United States does not want anyone to be able to blackmail the world, he said.

U.S. ambassador to NATO Victoria Nuland said on Friday that the anti-missile protection system should be interconnected with NATO so that it would protect all allies.

Preliminary decisions on interconnecting the systems could be made at the NATO summit in Bucharest in April next year, Nuland said.

With the help of the radar base in Britain and further base that Washington wants to build in Greenland, the United States will be capable of intercepting missiles directed by Iran at the United States. The bases in the Czech Republic and Poland should protect the territory of European states, she said.

Bush also mentioned visas in the interview with journalists from the countries that he will visit during his European tour.

Americans do not need visas on their trips to the Czech Republic, while Czechs wishing to visit the United States must undergo a relatively complex procedure when they apply for the U.S. visa. The Americans apply the same policy in relation to other new EU member countries, with the exception of Slovenia.

Bush said that in cooperation with the U.S. Congress he is trying to change the established laws. He also said that the United States is now conducting a debate on immigration.

Bush said that he is in favour of profound reforms in this respect, and that he also supports changes in visa legislation. He said he is not capable of saying more precisely when all this could make it through Congress, but said that the thing is being worked on hard.

Bush will arrive in Prague in the evening on Monday, June 4. His visit will be part of his trip to the G8 summit that will be held in Germany on June 6-8. Bush will also visit Poland, Italy, Albania and Bulgaria.

Source: launch.praguemonitor.com