Anti-missile shield not aimed at Russia: US

Warsaw, Jan 22: The placing of a US anti-missile system on Polish and Czech soil would strengthen Europe's defence against a rogue nuclear attack, a senior US official was quoted today as saying.

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried told the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita that Russia, which had been critical of the project in the past, had nothing to fear.

''We believe that building infrastructure of the anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech (Republic) will significantly boost the defences of a united Europe,'' Fried said. ''I want to stress that the anti-missile system is not aimed at Russia.'' Fried confirmed reports that Washington had made a specific offer to Warsaw and Prague last week to start detailed negotiations, which he said could last for months.

The United States is investing 10 billion dollar a year in developing the ''anti-missile shield'' system, which would combine a long-range radar and ballistic rockets to detect and shoot down hostile missiles in space.

Asked if Washington was speeding up negotiations concerning the system because of rising tensions with Iran and because North Korea had conducted a nuclear test, Fried said: ''I don't think we need to act under any time pressure. Polish concerns, the conditions for building the base and the basis for our cooperation must be carefully discussed.'' Poland, a close U.S. ally since overthrowing communism in 1989, has long been considered as a potential location for a set of rocket batteries. The radar would be placed in the Czech Republic.

Defence Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Polish television late yesterday that safeguarding Poland's security would be the most important factor in the government's decision on whether to allow the rockets to be placed on Polish soil.

''I think we want to assure the Polish public that we will approach this issue very seriously,'' he said.

''The government must be sure that on balance Poland's security will increase.''

Reuters