In a statement, the National Security Network explained, "Conservatives have been quick to go on the attack, arguing that this will leave Europe exposed to an Iranian attack....

Okay. Let Europe deal with it. Aren't they blowhards supposedly fiscal conservatives? Where is the fiscal conservatism in using US tax dollars (borrowed from the future, no less) to defend Europe? They're big boys. If they want missile defense, by all means, have at it.

Nicely put: "Obama is making a mistake listening to the Secretary of Defense and the unanimous judgment and the Joint Chiefs of Staff..."

Note that the SoD is a Bush appointee with extensive intelligence and security experience, as well.

Forget about the domestic reaction - what do our allies in Central Europe and Western Europe think about this? Or is that unimportant?

Forget about the domestic reaction

Yeah, who cares what Americans think.

"Conservatives have been quick to go on the attack, arguing that this will leave Europe exposed to an Iranian attack."

And WHY would Iran attack Europe? Even the most irrational leader-North Korea's Kim, for example-knows the difference being ABLE to do something and the advisability of actually DOING it.

Then again, there was George W. Bush. . .

First the F-22, and now this? What is the military-industrial complex to do? -Kevo

> Forget about the domestic reaction - what do our
> allies in Central Europe and Western Europe think
> about this? Or is that unimportant?

According to Wikipedia, past opinion polls indicate the Bush plan was hugely unpopular in the Czech Republic and Poland (like, 60-70% of voters opposed the idea of missile defense on their territory although their political leaders were anxious to strike a deal with Bush). Virtually nobody in Western Europe or Russia liked the idea either.
---
Bottom line: the Obama Administration is saving money, U.S. top military leadership apparently thinks it is a good move and pretty much everybody is happy except for the likes of David Frum, Michael Goldfarb/Bill Kristol/Weekly Standard, Commentary magazine and other neocons. Seems like a win-win to me...

MARCU$

I ask you: is this the way to stop Putin's headrearing?

Obama hits another slow, fat one out of the park.

since obama is a fascist and a communist and an islamic terrorist,
this decision obviously plays into the hands of one (or more) of these three groups of american enemies.

gee, the right wing crazies have a very easy, if boring and stupid, game of life...

on the other hand, i'd just love to have us station joe lieberman on permanent sentry duty in poland...or the CR...

From Lieberman (emphasis mine):
"This deeply regrettable decision sends the wrong message to Tehran, Moscow, and our European allies at a critical time in our effort to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Moreover, it means that we will have a less capable missile defense system to protect the United States and our European allies against the Iranian threat. The administration must take immediate and tangible action to reassure our allies in Central and Eastern Europe that we are committed to their security and independence."

I thought that free-dom loving Americans didn't care about what pansy-liberal-whiny-godless Eurofascists thought?

Follow the money, not just Bushkulte loyalism: what contractors stood to gain from the Bush version of the MD; how much does McSame, turn-coat Lie-berman etc. get from them etc?

One sad thing: Steve so often has to quote from non-majors like Washington Independent, not WaPo etc., to find the good rebuttals and exposures.

Steve Benen: The White House is not abandoning missile-defense altogether (...)

It might as well be. That's exactly what we'll be hearing... in 5... 4...

Quick question.

Why would Iran launch a 'first strike' attack against Western Europe knowing that in a few hours their entire country would be reduced to a pool of molten, radioactive glass?

Answer: that won't happen.

Unless a country has the means to completely take out the retalitory capabilities of their 'enemy' in a first strike, nuclear weapons are useless except as a last-ditch defense effort.

That's the real reason why the Neocons don't want to see Iran have a few nukes... they won't be able to invade 'at will'.

BRAVO, Mr President

A Great move

Let's re-position Star Wars to guard against the 'Bi-Partisan Illusion'

End Wasteful Government Spending

Reading the Times article makes this sound less dramatic than Benen or Republican critics would have you think, although I still have plenty of questions after reading the article.

The concept of a land-based missile defense in Europe is not being abandoned, but rather delayed pending technical advancements. Sounds like a land based system will be placed in the Balkans or Turkey around 2015 or so, and will increase in capacity with regard to intercontinental ballistic missiles thereafter.

Articles like these are a little frustrating, because they take Iranian missile attacks against Europe as an article of faith. Is placing a land-based missile defense system in Europe to protect against Iranian missile threats really a good investment? Will it still impede non-proliferation efforts? Isn't this really more of a security shield for Israel rather than Europe? And could it be just as easily used against Russia rather than Iran?

Finally, I'm not sure we should be so quick to applaud Obama's judgment here while simultaneously criticizing Bush's (and I am a passionate Cheney-Bush hater.) The Times article states that Bush made his decision based on Gates' recommendations. Subsequently, new developments came to light (I'm guessing slower development of the technology than anticipated) and so Gates recommended a different approach to Obama, which he appears to be following now. So in both cases, both Presidents appear mainly to be following the advice of the SecDef. How can you excoriate one and praise the other?

Maybe I'm oversimplifying but that's what I took away from the article.

I see. If we spend tax dollars on the arms industry, it's good conservative policy. If we invest tax dollars to reduce healthcare costs and extend the health of citizens, it's creating a deficit. As somebody said on Maddow yesterday, why are we listening to village idiots?

"Conservatives have barely tried to address the substance...."

So what else is new? It's President Obama's initiative, therefore, it must be opposed; preferably with hysterical ranting about "nuclear strikes from Iran" and "appeasing Russia" - what is this, 1957? - regardless of circumstances.

Of course, with a little logical examination, the neocons' blustery objections fall apart: A plan to (at some future date) install a missile-defense system that may or may work (probably "not"), in countries whose publics are (at best) lukewarm to the idea. And all against the remote possibility of an attack -on Europe - by Iran, which has neither adequate missiles for the job, NOR nuclear warheads to put on them?

Star Wars Missle Defense...

Saint Ronnie Raygun had a dream...
Saint Ronnie dreamed of a star wars missle defense...
Saint Ronnie dreamed of billions & trillions of $$$ being funneled to defense contractors...

Just because Saint Ronnie's dream of a star wars missle defense is:
- A technological 'mission impossible' will never actually work
- A defense against a Soviet threat that no longer exists
- An endless moneypit for defense contractors

Does not mean that rethugnicans will ever stop supporting it!

After all, when the patron saint of rethugnicans dreams, all rethugs have wet dreams!

what do our allies in Central Europe and Western Europe think about this? Or is that unimportant?

They never wanted the damnfool thing in the first place.

Jackass.

Obama and his administration need out. Lets not forget about the economy. He blames it on Bush, well lets not forget that Bush was being run by Obamas congress two years before Obama took the helm....The economy is Obamas problem and he can not blame it on Bush.... I hope every real American gets the trash out of congress because their representatives are selling them down the river.

Randall you and your asshole rightwing retards need out of the country. I suggest Central america, there's a number of banana republics there that your ilk would fit in rather well.

Has Dick Cheney's gurney been wheeled onto the Fox set yet?

Excellent choice, "missile defense" is a misnomer anyway because half of the shit doesn't work 85% of the time. Now can we budget Health Care Reform with the money we were going to spend on useless bullshit in Poland?! Joe Lieberman looks real tough (not). This sends the right message; "America is not completely mentally retarded".

Riddle me this: if it costs Ford $50 million/year to save one or two lives a year, I think you all would be aghast if they decided it wasn't worth it. People before profits, and all that.

But if it costs a couple of hundred billion dollars to protect the US against a possible nuclear attack that could kill hundreds of thousands or millions of people, all of a sudden you are all bean counters, weighing each life potentially saved against the cost.

And whatever happened to the precautionary principle? Why is it OK to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to prevent the risk of global warming but not OK to spend similar sums to prevent the risk of nuclear war? The potential harm in the latter case is far worse.

I assume DBL is short for DumBelL.

Perhaps you're on to something Bob Johnson! -Kevo

If Europe wants a missile defense system in place, why don't they pay for and install it themselves?? Why do we have to police the world? Sickening....

It must be damned depressing for Conservatives, especially the Crazies, to consider that the world may just be evolving into a safer happier place where their fear isn't needed or accepted.

Sure we're a long way from the goal, but I can see it from this shining city on a hill. LOL

Good riddance!

What a waste of bucks that was.

Not a bad idea, if it ever worked, but it never did.