Obama ditches European missile defence shield

The Bush administration's decision to build at missile defence system in Europe had always been a controversial one - it had alienated Russia, who viewed it as a direct threat, which had led to several European countries fearing a Cold War-esque face-off. The system had been devised as a way of defending against any Iranian long-range missiles, by placing 'interceptors' and radar stations in Poland and the Czech Republic.

However, today the Obama administration has made one of its sharpest breaks with the past administration's policies by abandoning the scheme. According to Washington sources, a 60-day review of the Pentagon's contentious missile defence plan, issued in July, has determined that Iran's long-range missile programme was less advanced then previously thought and posed no danger.

Whilst Russia may welcome the news, the Czech and Polish governments are likely to be more ambivalent. According to the BBC, a Czech government spokesman has reported that President Obama spoke to Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer on Wednesday, but declined to release further details. Meanwhile, Polish deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer told Reuters, "From different sources we hear there are serious chances the shield won't be deployed here."

Other Eastern European countries are expected to be less than happy, having hoped that the defence shield would protect them from possible Russia subjugation. According to The Telegraph, the former Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek said, "This is not good news for the Czech state, for Czech freedom and independence. It puts us in a position wherein we are not firmly anchored in terms of partnership, security and alliance, and that's a certain threat."

In response to the American decision to set up a defence shield, Russia had moved its own ballistic missiles to Kaliningrad, between Nato member states Lithuania and Poland to "neutralise - if necessary - the [US] anti-missile system", President Dmitry Medvedev had said at the time.

The shift in defence policy signals that America will instead choose to focus on the threat of Iran's short- and medium-range missiles, arms that could threaten its European bases and Israel.

According to the Wall Street Journal, America will most likely "leave open the option of restarting the Polish and Czech system if Iran makes advances in its long-range missiles in the future."

The United States, as well as Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, are expected to meet with Iran on 1 October to discuss the 'nuclear situation'.

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