Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s decision to finalize an agreement with Prague in early July to station part of the “third site” anti-missile system there arrives at a critical point in the proliferation debate. The news comes at the same time a former U.N. arms inspector is set to report that plans to build a nuclear weapon — compatible with Iran’s ballistic missile technology — could have fallen into the hand of the rogue regime and other dangerous actors.
The radar in the Czech Republic, together with the possible stationing of 10 interceptor missiles in Poland (negotiations are ongoing), will strengthen transatlantic security against the evolving Middle Eastern ballistic missile threat, allowing the United States to extend its own security umbrella to that of its European allies. This is surely one reason why NATO vigorously endorsed the third site missile defense negotiations at its Bucharest Summit in April.
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