The Obama administration announced today that it is formally ending the Eastern Europe anti-ballistic missile shield with planned installations in the Czech Republic and Poland to intercept potential Iranian missiles. According to the NYT, the administration will base missiles in Turkey and in seaborne craft after recent intelligence indicated that the Iranian government chose to develop short-range and intermediate missiles rather than long-range missiles.
This story first appeared a couple of weeks ago, so it's not terribly surprising. Even though this policy correction will please Putin and Medvedev, it sends a clear signal to Ukraine, Georgia, the Czech Republic, and Poland that the US is placing it's national security priorities higher than the fears of a new iron curtain, even in the wake of last year's Georgian/South Ossetia conflict. However, it's doubtful that the Obama administration is leaving these states high and dry without any arms or potential security commitments.
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