Romania set to host U.S. missile shield

Romania's President Traian Basescu announced on Thursday that his country's Supreme Defence Council has agreed that medium-range missile interceptors, forming part of a U.S. missile shield, may be placed on Romanian territory.

President Basescu, who is in his second term in office after emerging victorious from elections held during the latter part of last year, has stressed that Romania's involvement in the missile system is not an indication of hostility towards Russia, Radio Free Europe quoting him as saying also:

Romania has been officially invited by U.S. President Barack Obama to be part of the missile-defense system. Terrestrial interceptors will be placed on Romania's territory as part of the antimissile system. According to the calendar agreed with the American side, the components located on Romania's territory will become operational in 2015

The Romanian parliament still has to approve the placement of elements of the U.S. missile shield on its country's territory and, despite President Basescu's announcement, Radio Free Europe suggests that the U.S. may not have made a final decision on whether Romania will indeed host the interceptors. It was in September last year that the Obama administration decided not to proceed with an anti-ballistic missile shield conceived during the administration of George W. Bush. That system would have seen 10 ground-based interceptors placed on Polish soil and a radar facility placed in the Czech Republic. Russia strongly opposed the system and the Obama administration was criticized by Republicans for allegedly being weak in the face of Russian objections. A reassessment of the threat posed by Iran was given as one reason for the review of the missile system. Armed Forces International explains that while Iran was previously believed to possess ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) it had apparently changed its strategy and had deployed or was preparing to deploy short-range and medium-range missiles. U.S. Vice-President Joseph Biden then traveled to Central Europe in October and Romania received a visit from Mr Biden, as did Poland and the Czech Republic. Ria Novosti confirms that the latter two countries subsequently pledged their support for the new missile plans. In addition to land-based interceptors in Central Europe the new shield will see the deployment by 2011 of ship-based SM-3 interceptors, the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea being the hosts for those ship-based interceptors, according to Ria Novosti.