US reveals proposed site for Czech missile defence radar


dpa German Press Agency
Published: Thursday January 25, 2007

Prague- The United States has for the first time revealed
the planned Czech site for its controversial European missile defence
system, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said Friday.
Subject to agreement by Prague, the Czech part of the facility
would be located close to the central Bohemian village of Jince,
around 50 kilometres south-west of Prague.

A decision over approval of the base is to be made by the Czech
government in the coming weeks. The proposal has been met with
opposition from many Czechs and is also fiercely opposed by Russia.

The facility is part of the controversial US missile defence
system in Europe dubbed "son of Star Wars." Reports say the base is
to be split between the Czech Republic and Poland, with a radar and
tracking station in the Czech Republic and the actual missile
interceptor base in Poland.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus was to travel to Poland on Thursday
for talks on the matter with Warsaw officials.

Klaus' predecessor on Thursday indirectly spoke in favour of the
siting of the tracking system in the Czech Republic.

"Do the Czechs want to be a modern European society, which feels a
shared responsibility for the state of the world, or would we prefer
to leave the resolution of global problems to others?" the former
head of state told news agency ctk.

© 2006 - dpa German Press Agency