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Whatever the Obama administration’s new missile defense plan may be, it seems the Czech Republic may still have a part to play.

Although the president dropped plans to install missile defense shields in Poland and the Czech Republic, Ellen Tauscher, the U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, met with foreign leaders to discuss the matter. “This is … the opportunity for the Czech Republic to play a very significant role…We are talking to the government about a number of good opportunities.” (Source)

Obama’s new system purportedly involves developing shorter-range missile interceptors. “This is obviously a very big issue for us because of our deep relationships with the Czech Republic, and our hope that we can find a significant role for the Czech Republic,” Tauscher said.

DOD Buzz reports that Senator Jon Kyl is hinting he may oppose the confirmation of Representative Ellen Tauscher, nominated by President Barack Obama for Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

Kyl, who’s written a number of pro-missile defense op-eds, spoke yesterday at a morning meeting and quoted some of Tauscher’s statements on missile defense. According to DOD Buzz, a skeptical Tauscher wants more testing on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system (GMD). She also expressed skepticism about a missile defense shield in Poland, saying the system would have to be proven viable before deployment (as one would expect).

An aide confirmed that Kyl would place a hold on Tauscher’s nomination.

Tauscher’s skepticism about systems like the GMD match the Obama administration’s. The Missile Defense Agency may face budget cuts as high as $2 billion, which would reduce testing of the GMD.

 
Representatives Jon Kyl and Ellen Tauscher both condemned North Korea’s missile launch. Kyl said (excerpted):

“This launch is yet another reckless display by one of the world’s most brutal and dictatorial regimes. It makes clear that the North Koreans are investing significant resources and effort to advance the capability of their missile systems.

“Clearly, missile defenses against threats from rogue regimes are more important than ever, and I urge the Obama administration to fully fund the Missile Defense Agency this year.

“North Korea is the world’s most prolific proliferator of ballistic missile technology so we should also be concerned about reports that Iranian technicians and observers were present in North Korea for this launch.”

In a joint statement with Representative Ike Skelton, Tauscher said (excerpted):

“We call on North Korea to cease any further ballistic missile launches and return to the Six-Party talks without any preconditions. We will support President Obama’s efforts to work with the international community to appropriately address North Korea’s actions.

“North Korea’s ballistic missile capability is a threat to the United States, our deployed forces, and our friends and allies in the region.

“The House Armed Services Committee has worked for many years to ensure that we have fully funded critical near-term missile defense systems, such as the existing Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, based in Alaska and California, the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system, and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.”

Conspicuously absent in both statements is any mention of ground missile defense in Europe, specifically, the urgent need to move forward on our agreements to build missile defense shields in Poland and the Czech Republic.

 
Earlier this month, we blogged about President Barack Obama’s reported offer to Russia to cancel plans to build missile defense shields in Poland and the Czech Republic in exchange for Russia helping the U.S. deal with Iran’s possible nuclear weapons. Despite a New York Times report and lots of news coverage about a “secret letter” Obama sent to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to that effect, the president denied reports of such an offer.

The Czech Republic sees the writing on the wall. Last week, the government “temporarily pulled back” from parliament agreements between the Czech Republic and the U.S. to install missile defense radar. Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said, “This does not mean we would give up on the ratification process. We will return to this issue after talks with the U.S. administration and after the NATO summit in Strasbourg and Kehl.”

But Poland is still holding out hope. On Sunday, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said his country had taken “something of a political risk” when signing an agreement to build a missile defense shield and that the Czechs “patiently wait for the new administration, and we hope we don’t regret our trust in the United States.” (Reuters)

Representative Ellen Tauscher, expected to be announced as the new Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said the missile system will have to be proven viable before deployment (as one would expect).

During the Bush administration, the U.S. assured Russia that missile shields in Poland and the Czech Republic were for defensive purposes, but Russia has remained doubtful.

(Photo credit: AP/Alik Keplicz)

The head of the Missile Defense Agency spoke publicly Tuesday for the first time about progress in the Poland missile defense talks. While Lt. Gen. Henry Obering urged that progress has been made, others remain skeptical, CongressDailyAM reported today.

The MDA chief stated that Poland and the Czech Republic have agreed to host U.S. missile defense systems. Obering continued that the two governments are reviewing the agreement and negotiating what they want in return. It’s this last part that has skeptics buzzing.

Polish officials are bargaining for military aid to boost their air defenses, including patriot missiles. It’s not clear what the Czechs desire. What is clear is that neither country looks willing to ratify the agreements until they get what they want.

Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), perennial missile defense skeptic and chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, doesn’t think the two countries will ratify the agreements until after U.S. elections in November. Congressional hostility is reflected in the fiscal 2006 budget, which cuts $372 million for the European sites. The Senate seems slightly more optimistic, fully funding the project in principle, but refusing to fund actual building of the sites until the interceptors have been “field tested.”

More bad news came from the MDA this week as it announced the “altering” of their plans to test the ground-based interceptors July 18. Due to technical reasons, this Friday’s test will be a simulation rather than an actual test-fire. While the simulation will likely yield important results, “simulations” are not going to bring the MDA closer to convincing Congress the interceptors really work.