Soon-to-be Undersecretary for arms control denounces Poland missile shield

The leading candidate for a top post in the Clinton State Department dismissed the idea of defending against Iran as justification for building a European missile defense system. At a conference on missile defense held on Mar. 23, Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher, who has announced that she will leave Congress to take the post of Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, chided the Pentagon for not demonstrating that the system planned for Europe would be effective. Ms. Tauscher said that even if the system can work, it would not protect U.S. allies in the Middle East or U.S. troops deployed there against Iran's large arsenal of shorter-range missiles. She told the conference that the United States and allies should first develop and field short range missile defense systems that could protect forces deployed in combat operations. "These systems are currently capable of targeting U.S. forces and our allies throughout the region," she said. "And guess what? The proposed interceptor in Poland would have little, if any, capability to counter the existing threat from Iran's short- and medium-range ballistic missiles." Advocates of the U.S. plans in Europe argue that missile defense systems should be urgently deployed to counter Iran, which the United States has estimated could have missiles capable of reaching Europe or America within a decade. Ms. Tauscher said that the threat has been exaggerated. "The argument that the U.S. would be naked against an Iranian threat unless we deploy the GMD system in Europe is simply not right," she said, referring to the long range system. She said that advocates of the European plans "have been running around with their hair on fire." Her comments come as the Obama administration is reviewing the European missile defense plans and has signaled to Russia that it is willing to reconsider them, if the threat from Iran recedes. Russia has adamantly opposed the European plans, which it believes would undermine its nuclear deterrent and encroach on its interests.