Czech Republic pulls out of US missile shield plan

[June 15, 2011]  PRAGUE (AP) -- U.S. and Czech officials say the Czech Republic will no longer take part in U.S. missile defense plans. The Czech defense minister tells The Associated Press that his country withdrew in frustration at a minor role in a new U.S. plan.

The Bush administration first proposed stationing 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an advanced radar in the Czech Republic. But Russia angrily objected and warned that it would station its own missiles close to Poland if the plan went through.

In September 2009, the Obama administration shelved that plan and offered a new, reconfigured phased program with a smaller role for the Czechs, who were offered an early warning center that would gather and analyze information from satellites to detect missiles aimed at NATO territory.

Defense Minister Alexander Vondra told the AP that the Czech Republic wanted to participate but "definitely not in this way."

"They gave us an offer and we assessed that," Vondra said. "I would say we've solved it in an elegant way."

Vondra spoke Wednesday after meeting U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn.

The two men said both sides will be looking at possibilities of Czech participation in the future.

"We can return to it at some point but it's premature at the moment," Vondra said. "We have certain ideas but it's too early to speak about them."

[Associated Press; By KAREL JANICEK]

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