Defense source warns of threat to states hosting missile shield
15:46 | 19/ 07/ 2007
MOSCOW, July 19 (RIA Novosti) – A source in Russia’s Defense Ministry
warned Thursday that countries that host missile defense systems
are not improving their own security, but are putting themselves and
their neighbors at risk.
The source told RIA Novosti that the expansion of the United States
missile defense system would cause serious environmental problems in
several parts of the world, as the interception of an intercontinental
ballistic missile creates a vast zone of destruction.
His comments echo warnings earlier in the week from Yury Baluyevsky,
chief of staff of the Russian Armed Forces, who urged Poland, which
along with the Czech Republic has agreed to host elements of the
Pentagon’s missile shield on its territory, to consider the dangers
the country is exposing itself to.
The ministry source said: "Should a U.S. anti-missile intercept a
ballistic or other type of missile in Europe, substantial tracts of
land would be affected in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic,
Germany, and a number of other states. Radioactive elements will be
dispersed across these countries’ territories," he said.
Russia does not regard components of the U.S. missile defense system
in isolation from each other, he said.
"Europe, Alaska, naval components, and space-based tracking,
control and communication systems – all of these are elements of the
U.S. missile defense system," he said.
He said that as far as Russia is concerned, it does not matter exactly
how many interceptor missiles are deployed in a particular area. "What
is of primary importance is the sheer fact that a global missile
defense infrastructure is being created around Russia," he said.