Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: Lisbon

Showing posts with label Lisbon. Show all posts

Sunday, December 12, 2010

How Will Iran Respond to NATO's Missile Shield? By Michael Eisenstadt

How Will Iran Respond to NATO's Missile Shield?

The new "Strategic Concept" that NATO is expected to adopt at its Lisbon summit this weekend offers the advantage of an early initial capability to defend Europe against the emerging Iranian ballistic missile threat, even though -- in deference to Turkish sensibilities -- NATO is not expected to identify Iran as the source of the threat. For now, the Islamic Republic is unable to reach targets in Eastern Europe, but that could change as early as 2012 if Tehran decides to commence production of the medium-range Sajjil-2 missile. And because the NATO concept hinges first on the deployment of ship-based missile systems to the eastern Mediterranean, followed later by the deployment of land-based interceptors, it entails certain vulnerabilities that Iran could exploit in the near term.
http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2010/11/21/how_will_iran_respond_to_natos_missile_shield_99286.html

Monday, November 8, 2010

NATO to keep nuclear weapons

Halifax, Canada (AFP) Nov 6, 2010 NATO leaders are unlikely to agree to reduce the defense organization's tactical nuclear stockpiles when they meet later this month, defense officials said Saturday. The leaders are to meet in Lisbon on November 19-20 to map out the future of the 61-year-old alliance. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will also attend the talks expected to touch on missile defense.
The nuclear arsenal across Europe remains a source of friction with Russia and within NATO -- with Germany, Poland and Sweden calling for a greater NATO commitment to nuclear disarmament resisted by France and the United States.
But a revised mission statement is not likely to address US nuclear weapons in Europe originally meant to deter a Russian invasion, according to defense officials.
"As long as the world is nuclear, the (NATO) alliance has to keep nuclear weapons," Stephane Abrial, Supreme Allied Commander for NATO transformation told a security conference in Halifax, Canada. More at:http://www.spacewar.com/reports/NATO_to_keep_nuclear_weapons_999.html

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Russia Seeks Further Dialogue on NATO Antimissile Plan

Russia yesterday indicated it would maintain dialogue with NATO and the United States regarding an invitation to collaborate with the military alliance on missile defense operations, the Xinhua News Agency reported (see GSN, Oct. 19).
Any options for a joint antimissile effort "will be discussed," Russia Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.
"NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has put forth an initiative (on the creation of a joint missile defense system) and it is now being studied thoroughly," Grushko said. "We'll continue contacts with American partners and NATO countries on this issue in the short term" (Xinhua News Agency, Oct. 21).
NATO nations are expected to determine at their Nov. 19-21 summit in Lisbon, Portugal, whether to formally include missile defense among alliance objectives, paving the way for a program to integrate and augment the antimissile systems of member countries. The 28-state organization has sought Russian collaboration on the project, which it says is intended to increase protection from ballistic missiles held by countries including Iran and North Korea. More at:http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20101021_7766.php