NATO to Endorse US Missile-Defense Plan

Source: Associated Press

NATO to Endorse US Missile-Defense Plan

AP foreign, Thursday April 3 2008

By MATTHEW LEE

Associated Press Writer

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - NATO leaders have agreed to
fully endorse U.S. plans to build a missile defense
system in Eastern Europe and to urge Russia to drop its
objections to the shield, senior American officials said
Thursday.

The endorsement is contained in a communique that the
leaders of the 26-nation military alliance will adopt
Thursday during their summit being held here, the
officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead
of the statement's release.

The document will state that "ballistic missile
proliferation poses an increasing threat to allied forces,
territory and populations." It also will recognize "the
substantial contribution to the protection of allies ...
to be provided by the U.S.-led system," the officials said.

The statement calls on all NATO members to explore ways
in which the planned U.S. project, to be based in Poland
and the Czech Republic, can be linked with future missile
shields elsewhere. It says leaders should come up with
recommendations to be considered at their next meeting in
2009, the officials said.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/7433640

if you build it - they will come

I thought Europe had more sense than that.