Poland's Deployment of U.S. Patriot Missiles Conflicts With Obama's Plan

WASHINGTON, January 22 - Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy
Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org released a statement on the
reaction to the Polish government announcement on the deployment of a U. S.
patriot missile defense system in the vicinity of Morag, Poland, which is
located 35 miles from the Russian border. Ellison is one of the top lay
experts in missile defense.

"In an agreement with the United States, the Polish Defense Minster Mr.
Bogdan Klich announced that U.S. Patriot Air Defense Units will be placed in
a Polish Military Base located 35 miles from the border of the Russian
enclave, Kaliningrad, which is in the vicinity of Morag, in northern Poland.
The U.S. Patriot Air Defense Units are a terminal phase missile defense
system that engages and destroys missiles in the atmosphere and are designed
specifically for short-range tactical missiles and aircraft over a small
tactical valued area. "

"This decision can been seen as provocative to Russia, as the U.S.
Patriot Air Defense Units to be deployed can only defend a very small area
which will be composed of Polish military forces that directly oppose Russian
military forces across the border in Kaliningrad. This defensive system
manned by approximately 100 U.S. Army Soldiers, will have the capability to
defend against the Russian Iskander tactical nuclear missiles, which the
Russians have threatened to deploy around Kaliningrad, if not already in
place, as well as defend against other Russian short- range missiles and
aircraft."

"Contrary to the administration's decision, the President's new missile
defense plan and its sensitivity to Russia to withdraw long-range ballistic
missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic to defend Europe and
the United States from Iran, this decision is directly providing Poland a
capability with deployed U.S. troops to defend Polish military against Russia
with no intention of the future threat from Iran to Europe."

"The President's new missile defense plan announced on September 16th,
2009 calls for a phased adaptive approach to defend Europe beginning with
current U.S. missile defense systems to defend against the proliferation of
short-range missile threats from Iran. It would seem logical that those
valuable and limited U.S. Missile Defense assets, such as the Patriot, be
deployed in a more useful position then defending Poland against Russia. "

"This decision would also seem to be against the Administration's
goodwill and intention to move forward with Russia on the START Follow-On
Treaty to reduce strategic nuclear weapons and delivery platforms. Russia
could be an important ally with the U.S. on missile defense as it comes to
terms with Iran's capabilities and having desired U.S. missile defense
systems potentially deployed in one or more countries or regions such as
Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, the Black Sea or the Balkans is critical for the
President's new missile defense plan do what it has promised to do."

Riki Ellison is available for on-the-record interviews. Contact Barbara
Maxwell at +1-703-299-0060 to schedule.

Barbara Maxwell, +1-703-299-0060