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How Obama Flubbed His Missile Message
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Scrapping missile defense was the right thing to do, says former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski—but how the U.S. conveyed the decision to its Eastern European allies couldn’t have been worse.
President Obama’s decision Thursday to scrap the Bush administration’s missile-defense umbrella for Europe is being bemoaned by Republicans at home and top diplomats from Poland, which was slated to be the main staging ground for the missile system.
But Zbigniew Brzezinski—who as Jimmy Carter’s Polish-born national security adviser confronted problems in Iran, Afghanistan, and the Middle East—says that dropping the missile-shield program gives the U.S. more defense options in Europe. At 81, Brzezinski, an early and enthusiastic Obama supporter, is as opinionated as ever about what America is doing right and wrong when it comes to the key foreign-policy issues.
“The Bush missile-shield proposal was based on a nonexistent defense technology, designed against a nonexistent threat, and designed to protect West Europeans, who weren’t asking for the protection.”
Brzezinski, who was considered a hawk in the Carter administration and was often touted by Democratic politicians as the party’s response to Henry Kissinger, spoke to The Daily Beast about how Obama flubbed the delivery of his decision to the Czechs and the Poles, why dropping the program won’t convince Russia to help us on Iran, and the effect of a possible Israeli preemptive strike on Tehran.
Is the Obama administration decision to end the missile-defense program the right one?
Well, let me first of all say that my view on this subject for the last two years has been that the Bush missile-shield proposal was based on a nonexistent defense technology, designed against a nonexistent threat, and designed to protect West Europeans, who weren’t asking for the protection.
Does scrapping the missile program weaken our defense options in Europe vis-à-vis the Russians?
Not at all. What is left is militarily sounder. It gives the U.S. more options while still enhancing America’s ability to develop more effective defense systems, which is what the Russians really dislike. But now they have less of an excuse to bitch about it.
What about the way we informed our allies of our decision?
The way it was conveyed to the Czechs and Poles could not have been worse. It involved [laughs] waking up the Czech prime minster after midnight with a sudden phone call from President Obama. The Polish prime minister was at least allowed to sleep late. But as far as Poland was concerned, unfortunately, poor staff work did not alert the United States that today, September 17, is a particularly painful anniversary for Poland. In 1939, the Poles were still fighting the Germans when on September 17 the Russians stabbed them in the back. To the Poles, that is something very painful. And since they misconstrued—and I emphasize the word “misconstrue”—that the missile shield somehow strengthened their relationship with the U.S. when it comes to Russia, it was immediately suggestive of the notion of a sellout. It’s the wrong conclusion, but in politics, even wrong conclusions have to be anticipated.
How is it possible that the State Department did not bring up the sensitivity of this day to the Poles?
Lousy staff work. Period. I don’t know who precisely to point the finger at. It was obviously not anticipated in this case.
There are some pundits who believe that by abandoning the missile-defense program, we will gain the help of Russia when it comes to arm-twisting Iran over its nuclear weapons program. Anything to that?
I doubt it. The Russians have their own interests in Iran, which are far more complex than the simplistic notion that the Russians want to help us with Iran. The Russians have a complicated agenda with Iran. They also know in the back of their heads that if worse came to worse—and I am not saying they are deliberately promoting the worst—but if worse came to worse, which is an American-Iranian military collision, who would pay the highest price for that? First, America, whose success in ending the Cold War the Russians still bitterly resent. And we would also pay a high price in Iraq, Afghanistan, and massively so with regards to the price of oil. Second, who would suffer the most? The Chinese, who the Russians view as a long-range threat and of whom they are very envious, because the Chinese get much more of their oil from the Middle East than we do, and the skyrocketing price would hurt them even more than us. Third, who would then be totally dependent on the Russians? The West Europeans. And fourth, who would cash in like crazy? The Kremlin.
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JennEm
Zbigniew is exactly right! There is no way an American base in Poland, with U.S. Military Personnel living and working among the Polish people, could strengthen the relationship between Poland and the U.S.
And his scenario of U.S. fighter jets rising to defend Iran from Israeli was bizarre, just absurd. I'm sure the Obama Administration is glad Brzezinski doesn't speak for them. They can't handle any more "lousy staff work."
diamondgirl
I dont think all the apologizing he has done, and will have to continue to do, will ever make his foreign policy a thing to be admired. He makes decisions too quick based on his Rules for Radical thinking, and I have a quesition for this POTUS...How is that Change you can believe in working out for you these days?
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sophia5
"The Russians have their own interests in Iran, which are far more complex than the simplistic notion that the Russians want to help us with Iran."
" Russians want to help us with Iran ? "
Why would they " help us ? "
Aren't they part of the anti-American
Russia-Venezuela-Iran Trifecta ?
mcmchugh99
One thing I know for sure, the Russians have never liked that Islamic fascist regime in Iran very much--not from the day it was established. They don't like any regimes like that south of their border, which is why they cooperate with the US in Afghanistan, as do the Chinese.
As for Chavez in Venezuela, he is just turning to any outside power who can bolster his position against the Colossus of the North, as many others in Latin America have tried to do over the last 100 years. In this case, however, the Colossus isn't really all that hostile to him, except for the Republican Right and the C Street Boys.
Even is Obama was hostile to him, he has much bigger worries in foreign and domestic policy, and very limited resources to deal with them. Anyone who was president at this time would face the same constraints and limits on US power, and the fact that the Wall Street-free market philosophy it has been pushing for the last 30 years is a total bust. This is one of the things that has made so many of the Republicans hysterical, but facts are facts: their ideas just don't work, and the whole world knows it.
clearthinker
DUDE.... I'm amazed at how comfortable you are on the far left side of the Democratic Party. What part of history do you look at? The mud or the outcomes? People judge Presidents and Parties by their results, not their propaganda.
Exhibit A: Jimmy Carter. Do I need to say more? What are Jimmy's results as President? What possible argument do you have? Be reasonable.
Exhibit B: Regan. Ended the cold war. Created millions of jobs. Stopped an economic collapse started by Carter. You idiot libs will talk about his defecit, but I'm sorry....some things are worth paying for.
dreaday19
If you actually read the sentence, it's a little more complex than that, and correct. If you recall, russia did help us (and then a ton) with WW2 on the eastern front, but also had their own interests in the whole thing. It's smart to actually take history and attempt to learn something from it.
penscott
The Russians do not want to help us in Iran, or anywhere in the Middle East,or anywhere in the world. I have not figured out why they are giving us some limited help in supplying our troops in Afghanistan. Nor is it clear why they would help Iran develop nuclear weapons, which in the long run might be aimed at them.
mcmchugh99
I have. They don not like these Islamic fascist regimes on their southern borders, potentially armed with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. In general, the Russians have a "think" about Muslims anyway, all kinds of bad historical memories.
By teh same token, it is not in their interests to have NATO expanded all they way to the suburbs of Moscow at St. Petersburg, and the have some VERY, VERY BAD historical memories of being attacked from that direction. This would be the same, no matter who was in charge in Russia at the moment.
They also didn't like the idea of Bush-Cheney trying to asset some old-style US hegemony over the Middle East and Central Asia, for understandable reasons.
Yes, I think Obama is trying to reverse course on a lot of this, so that the US will look less threatening and hegemonistic, which is even more important in dealing with allies and neutrals that with avowed enemies.
In any case, we are no longer the Great Superpower of 1945 and no longer have the strength to play hegemon in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. We should take a more live and let live approach and just act like one great power among many in a multi-polar world, cooperate more with reformed international organizations when we can, especially on issues of poverty, epidemics, social and economic development.
Maybe we should have a foreign policy more like that of Holland and Denmark than the Roman Empire, and fight only when we are attacked--as we were by Al Qaeda. In any event, there is no military solution for at least 90% of the problems in this world.
carouzer
Thank you for a wonderful article from Dr. Brzezinski who, unlike many of the so-called pundits, actually knows what he's talking about!
mcmchugh99
At least we have finally dropped the pretense that the anti-missile system in Poland had something to do with Iran. The Russians never believed that, and they were right all along. I think the Poles knew very early on that Obama was going to do this, while the Czechs will be happy to get rid of it.
It's certainly good that Poland is a NATO member, and that will guarantee its security against any Russian aggression in the. I have never believed for a minute that the Russians are going to attack any NATO country and start another world war. That is just not going to happen, although they are going to do everything possible to prevent NATO from expanding any further to the east, for obvious reasons.
It's is very unlikely that Obama is going to expand NATO, however. He already has enough troubles at home and abroad, is is not going to go looking for more.
penscott
Brzezinski's strong support of Obama has him descend into absurdities like
"And since they misconstrued-and I emphasize the word "misconstrue"-that the missile shield somehow strengthened their relationship with the U.S....".
Of course this cooperative project most definitely would have strengthened the Poles' relationship with the US. Brzezinski must have blushed with shame when telling such an obvious lie. At least he was honest enough to chide his hero, Obama, for the utterly crude and inept manner of breaking the news to the Poles and Czechs, who are now in a state of shock.
mcmchugh99
Having lived in the Czech Republic, I am skeptical that they ever wanted it at all, although Bush-Cheney threw in some sweeteners.
This whole project was on the back burner for years until Russia attacked Georgia for trying to get too independent of Moscow. It doesn't surprise me that they oppose any further expansion of NATO on their southern flank, or to Ukraine. Their reasons for this are obvious, as as those of the Ukrainians and Georgians for trying to get into NATO.
I noticed that the Poles were all smiles when Rice announced that the anti-missile project was going forward, and that certainly wasn't because they were happy at being asked to defend against imaginary Iranian missiles that were never going to be aimed at Europe anyway.
I lived in Poland, too, so I know they have no great love for Russia or Germany, and for good reason. I doubt that they are all that surprised or shocked that Obama cancelled this thing, or that he is working toward some kind of detente with Russia. He has been signalling for months that that's exactly what he's going to do.
truevirginian
It is good that Poland is a NATO member, but to state that attack from Russia would result in NATO's military response might be a little naive. Didn't Poland have military pacts with France and England in 1939? How many French and Englishmen died defending Poland? Is it reasonable to expect the same nations to act differently? Russians take lessons from history, Europeans and Americans don't!
jojo12
I always thought the missile shield was stupid, so I'm glad to see it has been "shot down". Bush/Cheney weren't fooling the Russians with their plans, those missiles could have been fired at Russia as well as Iran. The Czechs & Poles are members of the EU, let the EU start protecting their own.
Iran has oil nuclear capability. The leaders of the country may be thugs, but they are not stupid. They will not fire a nuclear missile against us or any other country. They know the retaliation against them would obliterate them. They just want to play with the big boys & act the big bad guy of the Middle East.
clearthinker
no duh jo. Of course those missiles could have been aimed at Russia. This is called "getting over on them". They do not have the funding to be able to defend it. This weekens them internally. Russia would be weekened to Mcmugh's family in Eastern Europe as well. With a week Russia, they can't assist the Iranians. Here's the rub, if Iran decides to launch a nuke at Israel, then we launch one up Russia's ass. This is a mental game to keep Russia in check. We don't have to worry about that now though.
Dencal26
Putin has plans to remake the old Soviet Union and Obama is trying to help him.
Ephraimeron
The big boys are cowards. They are good for starting wars that they send the little boys and girls to fight as long as they are not their little boys and girls. And as dumb as the big boys are, they are not dumb enough to strike down and Israeli plane for any reason. Israel is a small axe. Small axes bring big trees down.
bcaldwell
Dr Brzezinski, are you going to continue to provide cover for this amateur who has an amateur as Sec of State? This stuff should have been covered by the SoS weeks before the official announcement and not by midnight phone calls to the Czech President and certainly not on the day of Polish partition.
Doc is wrong on this, you have to keep pissing the Russians off because that's the only way you can keep tabs on them. The worst thing you can do is to announce that you are not doing this...does not matter if the tech exists, which it does, or if you even install it fully, just the threat of placing this, keeps them honest. It was the placing of intermediate range missles in W. Germany in the early 80's that got the Soviet's attention and then the mere threat of SDI and the fact that Reagan was able to sell the program and get research funding for it was what finally gave us leverage in the Cold War .
Obama allows the Russians greater operating room in dealing with their near abroad and then compounds his idiocy by assuring the Czechs and Poles that they will be first in line for a newer and better defense shield that he has in mind, but then allows NATO to come out and say we want to link our missle defense shields with the Russian system.
I guess someone forgot to tell Obama to get his cover story straight when telling a load of BS. What's it gonna be Z and Barry? Are we bringing in a new and better more "sustainable" system that is "pragmatic" or are we trying to make Russians business partners in the "hope" that we can get Iran to "change " its intentions?
It was always stupid to believe this missle defense was intended to defend Europe frm an Iranian missle in the first place. We should have always said what it was... an insurance policy for the Ukraine. But Doctor B. I would've thought you would know this....unless we are about to sell out the Ukrainians on their sovreignty down the line...wow.
Nuld001
How timely this interview article is. Today some of the secretive IAEA report information has been released that Iran has worked on developing and has the capability of building a missile with a chamber capable of delivering a HEU (highly enriched uranium) warhead on either a short or long-range missile. Mr. Brzezinski's statement regarding "that the Bush missile-shield proposal was based on a nonexistent defense technology, designed against a nonexistent threat, and designed to protect West Europeans, who weren't asking for the protection" is an accurate assessment of the new reality. The U.S. has decided to put its eggs in other baskets, so in effect there will be a missile defense shield but most likely a mobile one. His comments about the POTUS acting decisively, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Israel are highly informative and interesting. Mr. Posner, any chance of bagging interviews with other National Security Advisors and SOSs?
thinksoutsidebox
Read what Russia has to say about Obama and Brzezinski
It might just suprise you..
http://www.rense.com/general80/obb.htm
Nuld001
Webster G. Tarpley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster_Tarpley
Make up your own minds if he's playing with a full deck or not.
Dencal26
How coincidental that just after Carter makes a fool of himself Brzezinski comes out of the woodwork like a Cockroach with his insane ideas. Mind you that 75% of American Jews support this insane Dem Party. As for Obama and his pathetic surrender to Putin all I can say is WE TOLD YOU SO.
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kingharvest
It has been known since the very outset that this "missile defence system" would not work. It failed test after test. But the press kept its respective heads down, playing their special role in the stupid charade. And now, a new plan, new money, billions no doubt, and again, no context, no history, no discussion. Just more fake issues and dimwitted discussions. It is an absurd and dangerous and stupid game.
JoeBren
This is great. American's and Israeli's in a dogfight above Iraq. Wow, who makes makes this stuff up, pass the coolaid.
ttj7648
Fox News actually covers USS Liberty incident with commentary from ex top CIA agent:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=095_1245797694&c
dlglobal
Nothing new here. Brzezinski was fed Polish anti- Semitism from his mothers milk and brought this Polish anti-Semitism to augment the hostility to Jews already permeating the halls of the State Department.
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