U.S. wants defensive missile system in Europe against Iran

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-10-09 04:29pm

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash2.htm

U.S. wants defensive missile system in Europe against Iran; report
OCTOBER 9, 2003 14:44:23

Munich (dpa) - The U.S. government is sounding out the possibility of bilateral agreements with European countries to allow stationing of a defensive missile system directed against Iran, a leading German newspaper reported in its Friday edition.

Countries accepting the missiles would be rewarded by the U.S. with economic assistance, according to the report in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung citing unnamed U.S. State Department officials.

One ranking U.S. diplomat told the newspaper a joint project with European participation would be preferable, creating a missile-defence system to guard against attacks on both Europe and North America. However chances of obtaining NATO approval for the project were slim, the official said.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2003-10-09 04:33pm

Wait... Iran doesn't even have nuclear weapons or launch systems yet. Why do they need a missile system against a government that doesn't have the weapon they want to defend against?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-10-09 04:41pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:Wait... Iran doesn't even have nuclear weapons or launch systems yet. Why do they need a missile system against a government that doesn't have the weapon they want to defend against?

Iran is a convient scapegoat, and it's more politically feasible than saying "Russia"

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-10-09 04:41pm

The EU is trying to deal with Iran in it's own way, the US trying to undermine them in this way is just going to create further bad feeling.

I'm beginning to think the US doesn't know how to play nice with others because it went from isolationist country used to getting what it wanted because nobody cared to interventionist King of the world, now that the world is moving back towards being multi polar these diplomatic short falls are coming to light.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-10-09 04:48pm

We need to be leaving Europe, not offering to throw money at it...

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-10-09 04:52pm

Durran Korr wrote:We need to be leaving Europe, not offering to throw money at it...

Shush, you evil unilaterial american COWBOY!

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-10-09 05:03pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:Wait... Iran doesn't even have nuclear weapons or launch systems yet. Why do they need a missile system against a government that doesn't have the weapon they want to defend against?

Any ABM system would take years to establish once work starts, and given that Iran already has an active program to develop IRBM's it is highly likely the threat will exist. Iran has the will and the resources to build such missiles, it is only a matter of time.

Durran Korr wrote:We need to be leaving Europe, not offering to throw money at it...

We don't even know what they'd want to base, assuming the article is legit, If its THAAD for example, then everything could be broken down and driven onto a plane in a half hour should we opt to leave.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-10-09 05:13pm

International communication fails again. If the Germans and the Americans didn't have their noses in the air, maybe there'd be enough talks not to interfere with one another.

As for ABM in the region, well, from the looks of things, the EU attempts will now fail, so better get building.

FTeik · Post by **FTeik** » 2003-10-09 05:34pm

I would think Bush and Co. try to reduce the defecit by selling weapons to the European countries

And the US pulling out of Europe would be a good thing, since it would force the europeans to get their stuff together on their own.

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-10-09 05:37pm

FTeik wrote: And the US pulling out of Europe would be a good thing, since it would force the europeans to get their stuff together on their own.

That would be good for Europe but how would it be good for the US?

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-10-09 05:37pm

FTeik wrote:I would think Bush and Co. try to reduce the defecit by selling weapons to the European countries

And the US pulling out of Europe would be a good thing, since it would force the europeans to get their stuff together on their own.

And when we do, the USA will complain (as always) that this would weaken the NATO

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-10-09 08:30pm

Since any missiles hitting the EU from Iran would mean instant glassification of the country by a very mad EU, and they know it, I couldn't care less about being unprotected from evil Iran (or any small country from a region with delusions of grandeur).

I'm far more afraid of terrorist attacks 9/11 style, or worse, and no obscenely expensive shield will protect us against that.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-10-09 08:35pm

That would be good for Europe but how would it be good for the US?

Colossal waste of money. No need to have troops in Europe.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-10-09 08:38pm

Durran Korr wrote:
That would be good for Europe but how would it be good for the US?
Colossal waste of money. No need to have troops in Europe.

Darkling's asking why "force the europeans to get their stuff together on their own" is good for the US, like FTeik says.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-10-09 08:41pm

Money, again, and having more troops available for places where they're actually needed.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-10-09 11:20pm

FTeik wrote:I would think Bush and Co. try to reduce the defecit by selling weapons to the European countries

You know, total world weapons exports for 2002 where only worth 29.2 billion, of which 13.3 billion was America. I'd like to know how you propose to increase US exports by hundreds of percent, while nations with strong domestic arms industries and low military budgets are your customers.

The fact that most US arms come from private companies, so only a fraction of the money goes into government coffers by taxation, is also a kind of major issue, to make anything like a major a dent in the deficit you'd be needing to sell something like a trillion bucks worth stuff.

Though of course most contacts take years to fill and wouldn't even start making a dent in the budget for years, even if you could find someone running around with a procurement budget two and half times larger then the total US defence budget.

FTeik · Post by **FTeik** » 2003-10-10 10:41am

Sea Skimmer wrote:
FTeik wrote:I would think Bush and Co. try to reduce the defecit by selling weapons to the European countries
You know, total world weapons exports for 2002 where only worth 29.2 billion, of which 13.3 billion was America. I'd like to know how you propose to increase US exports by hundreds of percent, while nations with strong domestic arms industries and low military budgets are your customers.

The fact that most US arms come from private companies, so only a fraction of the money goes into government coffers by taxation, is also a kind of major issue, to make anything like a major a dent in the deficit you'd be needing to sell something like a trillion bucks worth stuff.

Though of course most contacts take years to fill and wouldn't even start making a dent in the budget for years, even if you could find someone running around with a procurement budget two and half times larger then the total US defence budget.

While i meant that comment as irony, i wouldn´t be surprised, if at least a small dent in the deficit would be caused. A little more taxes, a little less welfare, since workers of the arms-manufacturers have safe jobs, the costs for the accompanying technologies and maintainance ...

And i didn´t had the benefit of the US in mind, when i was talking about the EU standing on its own. Even if the US would somehow pull out of europe (they have already reduced forces or relocated lots of them) my best guess would be twenty to thirty years until the old continent would be on par with the US. Not that i think, that this is ever going to happen the way things look.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-10-10 02:52pm

FTeik wrote:
And i didn´t had the benefit of the US in mind, when i was talking about the EU standing on its own.

If western Europe imported vast amounts of weapons and technolgoy from the US they would be hurting there ability to stand alone, not increasing it.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-10-10 03:27pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:You know, total world weapons exports for 2002 where only worth 29.2 billion, of which 13.3 billion was America. I'd like to know how you propose to increase US exports by hundreds of percent, while nations with strong domestic arms industries and low military budgets are your customers.

Just out of curiosity, where did you get those numbers? I've been trying to find recent (i.e. later than mid-90s) numbers on weapons exports, and haven't found anything.