Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Russia’s deputy chief of General Staff Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn speaks to the media in Moscow on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008. Georgian officials charged Wednesday that dozens of Russian tanks had rolled into the Georgian city of Gori. Col.-Gen. Nogovitsyn said Wednesday that no tanks were in Gori. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze)

MOSCOW - A top Russian general said Friday that Poland’s agreement to accept a U.S. missile interceptor base exposes the ex-communist nation to attack, possibly by nuclear weapons, the Interfax news agency reported.

The statement by Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn is the strongest threat that Russia has issued against the plans to put missile defense elements in former Soviet satellite nations.

Poland and the United States on Thursday signed a deal for Poland to accept a missile interceptor base as part of a system the United States says is aimed at blocking attacks by rogue nations. Moscow, however, feels it is aimed at Russia’s missile force.

“Poland, by deploying (the system) is exposing itself to a strike—100 percent,” Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff, was quoted as saying.

He added, in clear reference to the agreement, that Russia’s military doctrine sanctions the use of nuclear weapons “against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them.” Nogovitsyn that would include elements of strategic deterrence systems, he said, according to Interfax.

At a news conference earlier Friday, Nogovitsyn had reiterated Russia’s frequently stated warning that placing missile-defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic would bring an unspecified military response. But his subsequent reported statement substantially stepped up a war of words.

U.S. officials have said the timing of the deal was not meant to antagonize Russian leaders at a time when relations already are strained over the recent fighting between Russia and Georgia over the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia.

Russian forces went deep into Georgia in the fighting, raising wide concerns that Russia could be seeking to occupy parts of its small, pro-U.S. neighbor, which has vigorously lobbied to join NATO, or even to force its government to collapse.

Under the agreement that Warsaw and Washington reached Thursday, Poland will accept an American missile interceptor base.

“We have crossed the Rubicon,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, referring to U.S. consent to Poland’s demands after more than 18 months of negotiations.

Washington says the planned system, which is not yet operational, is needed to protect the U.S. and Europe from possible attacks by missile-armed “rogue states” like Iran. The Kremlin, however, feels it is aimed at Russia’s missile force and warns it will worsen tensions.

In an interview on Poland’s news channel TVN24, Tusk said the United States agreed to help augment Poland’s defenses with Patriot missiles in exchange for placing 10 missile defense interceptors in the Eastern European country.

He said the deal also includes a “mutual commitment” between the two nations to come to each other’s assistance “in case of trouble.”

That clause appeared to be a direct reference to Russia.

Poland has all along been guided by fears of a newly resurgent Russia, an anxiety that has intensified with Russia’s offensive in Georgia. In past days, Polish leaders said that fighting justified Poland’s demands that it get additional security guarantees from Washington in exchange for allowing the anti-missile base on its soil.
(AP)

UPDATE EDIT:

Russia may strike nuclear blow on Poland in case it deploys US Patriot missiles

(PRAVDA)

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia warns Poland that it may become a priority target for Russia in the event the USA deploys elements of its missile defense system on the territory of this East European nation. To put it in a nutshell, Russia may strike a nuclear blow on Poland, which is possible after the recent change of the Russian Federation defense doctrine.

“The USA is busy with its own missile defense system; it does not intend to defend Poland at this point. Poland lays itself open to attack giving the USA a permission to deploy the system. The country may become an object of Russia’s reaction. Such targets are destroyed in the first instance,” Anatoly Nogovitsin, Russia’s Deputy Chief of Staff said commenting the recent agreement regarding the deployment of the US missile defense system in Poland.

Nogovitsin stated that Russia may use nuclear weapons in cases as stipulated by the defense doctrine.

“It clearly states that we can use nuclear weapons against the countries possessing nuclear weapons, against allies of such countries, if they somehow support them, and against those countries, which deploy other countries’ nuclear weapons on their territories. Poland is aware of it,” the general said.

In the meantime, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice added more fuel to the fire upon her arrival in Tbilisi, Georgia. She said that Washington would be ready to sign the missile defense agreement with Warsaw in the nearest future, ITAR-TASS reports.

Poland ’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland had completed the talks with the USA and agreed upon the conditions of the deployment of the US missile defense system elements on its territory.

The agreement stipulates the deployment of 96 Patriot missiles and 110 members of the personnel. The US permanent military reservation will be deployed in Poland by 2012.

Interceptor missiles will appear in Poland on the outskirts of the town of Slupsk. The agreement also stipulates USA’s assistance to Poland in case the latter faces a threat from third countries.

It is worthy of note that Polish President Lech Kaczynski set off to Georgia Tuesday along with the leaders of Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine to participate in the meeting of solidarity. All of the presidents, including Mr. Kaczynski, delivered anti-Russian speeches at the meeting. The Polish president particularly stated that Russia had shown its true face and committed criminal actions.

Russia ’s Dmitry Medvedev stated in July that US missiles in Poland would only aggravate the situation.

“Russia will have to respond; the EU and the USA have been warned,” the Russian president said.

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