On September 11th, 2001, then-National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice was scheduled to give a talk on a missile defense shield at Johns Hopkins University. Her speech would not have mentioned al Qaeda or Islamic extremism. One might argue that the Bush administration's obsession during that period with long-range missiles diverted its attention from warnings by Phoenix FBI agents, Richard Clarke and others about the real threat of al Qaeda from within. Seven years later, this administration is still fixated on a defense shield. Now it appears that misguided priorities are about to cost the United States once more -- this time by needlessly alienating the Russians.
Just last week, the Czech Republic signed a deal with Secretary Rice, agreeing to host the Pentagon's missile defense shield. The agreement has understandably infuriated the Kremlin. This U.S. policy is a sharp stick in the side of the Russian bear. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reacted angrily in a speech yesterday in Moscow. He argued that Russia cannot work cooperatively with the American government against threats from rogue states while Bush/Cheney continues acting preemptively. "The common (security) heritage cannot survive," he said, "if one of the sides selectively destroys isolated elements of the strategic construction."
Bush/Cheney would argue that we need a missile defense system to protect us from a potential missile threat from Iran. There are also plans to continue the missile defense shield in Poland over the strong objections of the Russians. On the surface, this appears to be another in a long list of miscalculations by our "bull in a china shop" Bush/Cheney administration. If a serious Iranian missile threat does develop, wouldn't we want the Russians on our side? That's the point Medvedev articulated yesterday. He also charged the U.S. with "aggravating the situation" and promised to "respond appropriately."
Once again, Bush/Cheney has developed a nonsensical policy. Russia is a prosperous, nuclear-armed, resource-rich behemoth. And after years of hard work at thawing Cold War tensions with that country, the proposed placement of a missile shield behind the former Iron Curtain is a backward step. Which is a greater threat: a new cold war with Russia or Iranian missiles being fired over the North Pole at America? Theoretically, in a new cold war, Iran and Russia might become allies. Then, we would have real threat.
Ironically, Condoleezza Rice's expertise is in Russian relations. But she miscalculated at the beginning of the Bush/Cheney administration just as she appears to be miscalculating on this issue here at the end. At least they're consistent.