The Masquerade of Defending Arabs
US plan to deploy missile defense shield in Persian Gulf is to protect Israel not Arabs. Interview with Esma’eel Bashari, disarmament expert in Iranian Center for Strategic Research
Could Washington possibly resume deployment of missile defense system in the Eastern Europe?
The possibility is really weak. Obama decided to drop the plan after negotiations with his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev. At the moment, United States needs to bring Russia on board to solve several global challenges, so a tradeoff over the defense shield was somehow inevitable and Americans had to alter their plans for the defense shield. Moscow has always argued that if Washington is trying to neutralize the Iranian threat, it could use the Qabalah site in the Republic of Azerbaijan. This suggestion may have now attracted Americans’ attention.
But Washington has talked of ‘shelving’ not abandoning the plan.
I can say with high confidence that deployment of the system in the Czech Republic and Poland is no longer on agenda. Americans are now looking for other sites. Northern Britain and Alaska are now hosting such systems. If the United State faces missile attacks from Iran or North Korea, it could use these sites. US has similar systems in South Korea and Japan. George Bush’s insistence on installing missile defense shield in Eastern Europe was really irritating the Russians, since they believed Iran was just a pretext and Americans wanted to contain Russia.
Selling Patriot missiles to UAE and Kuwait, and installation of X-band radars in Israel have revealed Americans’ new goals. Washington has decided to equip these countries with radar systems or missile trackers to counter Iran’s mid-range missiles.
Is that the reason US is upgrading anti-missile defense systems in Persian Gulf states?
Exactly. An Iranian hypothetical attack against Persian Gulf Arab states needs no mid-range missiles. These countries are just a stone’s throw from Iran and short-range Scud missiles would be enough for the strike. Israel is the one US is worrying for. Missile defense shields installed in Persian Gulf are only to protect Israel from Iran’s rockets. The system will be used as a complement to the Arrow anti-ballistic missiles deployed in Israel.
How would Moscow react?
There is no reason for Moscow’s worry. Russia and US have discussed a renewal of the Start-I Treaty and their progress has been remarkable. They have decided to reduce their strategic arms and this is a clear signal that they’re moving towards a compromise. The Persian Gulf anti-missile system has nothing to do with Russia’s interests. It is aimed at Iran.
The possibility is really weak. Obama decided to drop the plan after negotiations with his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev. At the moment, United States needs to bring Russia on board to solve several global challenges, so a tradeoff over the defense shield was somehow inevitable and Americans had to alter their plans for the defense shield. Moscow has always argued that if Washington is trying to neutralize the Iranian threat, it could use the Qabalah site in the Republic of Azerbaijan. This suggestion may have now attracted Americans’ attention.
But Washington has talked of ‘shelving’ not abandoning the plan.
I can say with high confidence that deployment of the system in the Czech Republic and Poland is no longer on agenda. Americans are now looking for other sites. Northern Britain and Alaska are now hosting such systems. If the United State faces missile attacks from Iran or North Korea, it could use these sites. US has similar systems in South Korea and Japan. George Bush’s insistence on installing missile defense shield in Eastern Europe was really irritating the Russians, since they believed Iran was just a pretext and Americans wanted to contain Russia.
Selling Patriot missiles to UAE and Kuwait, and installation of X-band radars in Israel have revealed Americans’ new goals. Washington has decided to equip these countries with radar systems or missile trackers to counter Iran’s mid-range missiles.
Is that the reason US is upgrading anti-missile defense systems in Persian Gulf states?
Exactly. An Iranian hypothetical attack against Persian Gulf Arab states needs no mid-range missiles. These countries are just a stone’s throw from Iran and short-range Scud missiles would be enough for the strike. Israel is the one US is worrying for. Missile defense shields installed in Persian Gulf are only to protect Israel from Iran’s rockets. The system will be used as a complement to the Arrow anti-ballistic missiles deployed in Israel.
How would Moscow react?
There is no reason for Moscow’s worry. Russia and US have discussed a renewal of the Start-I Treaty and their progress has been remarkable. They have decided to reduce their strategic arms and this is a clear signal that they’re moving towards a compromise. The Persian Gulf anti-missile system has nothing to do with Russia’s interests. It is aimed at Iran.