Rice Criticizes Russian General's Remarks Over Missile Shield

FOXNews.com

BERLIN —
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday called a Russian general's warning that Poland and the Czech Republic risk being targeted if they host U.S. missile defense bases "extremely unfortunate.

Rice also repeated assurances the system does not threaten Russia.

in an interview published Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said U.S. plans for missile defense sites in Europe suggest the United States is seeking nuclear superiority over Russia.

Lavrov called for new arms control negotiations and said simple U.S. assurances that the Cold War foes are no longer enemies are insufficient.

Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, head of Russia's strategic missile forces, said Monday that Russia might train its missiles on the two countries if they accept a U.S. proposal to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic.

"I think that was an extremely unfortunate comment," Rice said at a news conference in Berlin, adding that system did not threaten Moscow's forces "and we have had the opportunity to explain that to Russia."

She said the U.S. has made clear to Russia that the system would be to counter any missile threat from Iran. The system is too small to stop Russia's large nuclear arsenal, she said.

"Anyone who knows anything about this knows that there is no way that 10 interceptors ... are a threat to Russia or that they are somehow going to diminish Russia's deterrent of thousands of warheads," Rice said.

"I think everyone understands that with a growing Iranian missile threat, which is quite pronounced, that there need to be ways to deal with that problem," she added.

I think it's safe to say that Russia is no longer an ally, if they ever were. They were supplying night vision goggles to Iraq as the war started, and also repaired radar sites that we destroyed. They have also refused to assist in Iranian nuclear non-proliferation.