Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases

Czech Happenings – Prague,Czech Republic
16 November 2008

Washington – It is important that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has recognised the Czech Republic’s right to decide on what defence system should be installed on its soil, Czech government official Marek Mora said in reaction to Sarkozy’s statement in Washington on Saturday.

It is also important that Sarkozy referred to the conclusions of this year’s Bucharest NATO summit when speaking about missile defence such as the planned U.S. bases in the Czech Republic and Poland, Mora, Czech deputy Vice-Prime Minister for EU affairs, told Czech reporters. …

www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/index_view.php?id=344633

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TIME
By Mark Thompson / Washington – Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008

Missile-defense skeptics yearning for a fresh look at the wisdom of pumping $10 billion annually into missile defense aren’t going to get it from Barack Obama when he moves into the Oval Office. The Russians — along with the two men most likely to end up running the Pentagon for the President-elect — have already made sure of that. …

www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1859393,00.html

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The Associated Press 14 November 2008

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russian threats to position missiles near Poland to counter a U.S. missile defense plan in Europe are misguided, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, suggesting that Moscow’s latest aggressive rhetoric harkens back to the old Cold War era. …

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jfS6y-A7WF82KotI6KMN41IA3M4QD94E3UKG0

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AFP 12 November 2008

BAGHDAD (AFP) — The United States and Iraq appeared to be edging closer to a final agreement on the future of US troops in Iraq…

National security advisor Muwaffaq al-Rubaie said last week Iraq had proposed “110 changes” to American negotiators and received “responses,” including an agreement to remove a clause which could have allowed US troops to remain in the country after the end of 2011. …

US negotiators were however not keen to further ease the immunity offered to soldiers, after already agreeing to allow Iraq to prosecute American troops and civilians if they commit serious crimes outside their bases when off-duty.

Iraq wants to be able to prosecute them for crimes conducted on their bases as well. …

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jchsiJe3kh1kASg9uauzTsnPx88A

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The Czechs don’t want the US missile defence programme on their soil. Why should Britain roll over and accept it?

Guardian: Peter Kilfoyle, Wednesday November 05 2008

There was little coverage here when Czech parliamentarians went on hunger strike earlier this year. Representing 70% of the Czech people, they were objecting to a base in the Czech Republic as part of the American missile defence programme. Like most Europeans, they believe that missile defence makes Europe – including the UK– less safe, not more. …

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/05/defence-weaponstechnology

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Guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday November 04 2008

… “The government has repeatedly tried to avoid debate on this, announcing the US can use the Menwith Hill base for missile defence the day before a parliamentary recess. These are major long-term strategic decisions which will affect our security for decades.” …

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/04/defence

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[two SBIRS radomes were built at Menwith Hill in 1998]

The Pentagon has decided to go ahead and buy a fourth satellite for the troubled Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), a satellite network intended to replace the 1970s-era Defense Support Program constellation. SBIRS originally was planned to have five satellites, but cost growth and technical difficulties prompted a revamp in 2005 and a new acquisition goal of three satellites. The Pentagon has changed its mind and will try to slowly get back to the original plan of eventually buying five satellites for SBIRS. Says Col. Roger Teague, the Air Force’s SBIRS wing commander, “Procurement of this fourth satellite will complete the SBIRS constellation that was initially envisioned.” In addition to revamping SBIRS, the Air Force started another system for the SBIRS mission called the Alternative Infrared Satellite System (AIRSS), which over the past year has become the Third Generation Infrared Surveillance System (3GIRS). No word on how this fourth satellite will affect the other satellite systems’ structures.

Space News, Sept. 10, 2008

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Prague (AFP) Oct 29, 2008

The Czech government Wednesday called for delaying a final vote on two agreements with Washington to deploy part of a missile shield system on Czech soil until a new US president takes office. The lower house of the Czech parliament Wednesday began a debate on the agreements to install a radar facility in the Czech Republic as part of a US missile defence system, which is strongly opposed by Russia.

But Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said his government now wanted to extend the ratification process by six more weeks so that the final vote on the agreements, which must be ratified by both houses of parliament, would take place after the inauguration of US President George W. Bush’s successor in late January.

“We want a delay to make sure about the attitude of the new American administration,” said Topolanek. …

www.spacewar.com/reports/Czech_govt_wants_vote_on_missile_shield_after_US_election_999.html

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