U.S. Tables Missile Defense Plan

The Obama administration is likely to announce Thursday that it will put on hold aspects of the United States’ European missile defense plan. The proposal, first promoted by the Bush administration, has been under a seven-month review. Two NATO allies, the Czech Republic and Poland, had agreed to host components of the plan, so Obama must weigh the consequences of disappointing those countries with hindering relations with Russia, an opponent of the proposal. "It is most probable that the U.S. administration will unfortunately scrap the plan altogether," said Jaroslaw Gowin, a lawmaker from Poland's ruling Civic Platform party. "But maybe the U.S. will offer us an alternative." When he took office, Obama said he would examine the plan but has not offered a reaction to it until now. The proposal involved installing 10 interceptors in Poland and a radar network in the Czech Republic.