The Prague Post Online: News: Radar treaty to be signed in June

Reader's comments:

[14:14 08/05/2008] : It appears the Russian fifth column shills were unsuccessful in preventing the Czech Republic from joining the west. Bravo!

Phillip David Haskett
Houston

[23:28 08/05/2008] : The gentleman from Houston seems to believe that the phrase "in the west" means "having American troops on your soil".

I wonder how he would feel if his country had foreign military bases in it.

Margot Winston
Prague

[23:33 08/05/2008] : I suspect that Philip Haskett is a little confused. According to his own government the radar base is supposed to prevent missiles from North Korea and Iran (of all places). At no point has there been any suggestion of these missiles coming from Russia.

In any case, the radar base is a complete nonsense since there is no country in the world which has any interest in attacking our country. The missile bases, of courst will change that, and make us a target.

Disgracefully, the Prague Post has made no attempt to determine the true function of these bases.

John Ainsworth
Prague

[17:11 09/05/2008] : I guess Mr Ainsworth is a little confused. No one ever said nor suggested that they may come from Russia.
Mr. Haskett did, however, allude to the fact that they were the major opponent to the base.
Funny thing is, it is true that a missile from Iran or North Korea cannot hit the United States, presently.
They can however, hit the Czech Republic and other European nations, thus the NATO Secretary General's acknowledgment of its need!

Ms. you know who, again seems to forget that the Czech Republic has had foreign soldiers on its soil for how long...:}
Funny that those soldiers have never been of the nations that freed them from occupiers (the United Kingdom, France, the United States, etc.)
Maybe a western occupying force of a whopping 200 will really alter the demographics, eh?! Czechs chose their system of election, and its 278 members have spoken on behalf of its citizens.
For Ms. "I sound off against the United States at every chance I get," she has about as much voice in that country as the Prague Post has a responsibility to attempt to determine the true function of the bases...that is just foolish comment.

Does Mr. Ainsworth think that the 100,000 Americans in Germany over the past decade-plus made them a target too?
History has shown not! We have been in many countries throughout Europe since you were in diapers...and welcomed.
The Germans in towns like Stuggart and Heidelberg are worried about our departure and their economies thereafter...and rightfully so. The Czechs will benefit greatly from this in time and know it. It was a wise move on behalf of their elected leaders, small uneducated folk need not apply...:}

Philip
San Fran

[17:13 09/05/2008] : In 1999, I was part of a group of Minnesotans who lobbied the U.S. Senate on behalf of the expansion of the NATO treaty to include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
The U.S. Senate ratified the NATO treaty and will also have to ratify any radar treaty that might emerge.
The following year, I was awarded the Czech Presidential Medal by President Václav Havel, so I have little sympathy for those who believe the only opposition to the pending missile-defense system emanates from those sympathetic to a Russian point of view.
I don't buy the fact that Condoleezza Rice's schedule did not permit her to be in the Czech Republic for a projected May 5th signing.
Hulpachova's article only briefly touches upon the fact that the signing of a U.S. anti-missile defense treaty in the Czech Republic has been pushed forward by a full month.
As an American reader of the Prague Post; the issue of when and if the Czech and/or Polish governments sign this treaty and further political concessions under negotiation, such as requests by Czech military officials for two additional C-130 transport airplanes and updating of the Czech anti-missile defense system have as much interest on our side of the Atlantic as yours.
In the view of many experts in anti-missile technologies, this tested system is flawed. In the view of many American citizens, this treaty and the system it brings comes at too high a cost juxtaposed against our current economy and deteriorating roads, bridges, highways and tunnels.
In the view of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in July of 2007, the anti-missile technology in question was so unreliable that they cut the Bush Administration's funding $310 million funding request by nearly one-half.
The last time I checked the Czech bourse, the crown is soaring and the Czech economy is healthy. If the Czech government wants to enhance its national security it has a vast array of options available other than the American taxpayer.

Paulette Will
Minneapolis

[07:46 13/05/2008] : >>We have been in many countries throughout Europe since you were in diapers...and welcomed.

You wish! You need to stop watching U.S. propaganda stations and get out of the United States.
I challenge you to find *anyone* in Germany who wants U.S. troops occupying German soil.

>>100,000 Americans in Germany over the past decade-plus

Quite where you got this figure from is not clear. American troops invaded Germany during the second World War and have stayed on ever since. They were not welcome then, and they are not welcome now.
Incidentally, the figure of 100,000 is wrong as well.

Margot Winston
Prague

[09:48 13/05/2008] : "The Germans in towns like Stuggart and Heidelberg are worried about our departure"

Because they value the money that the American taxpayer is kindly contributing to their economies. Not because they think that they are likely to be invaded by North Korea if the troops pull out.

Winston A. Brockham
LA

[13:57 13/05/2008] : No, there are over 100,000 Americans, both troops and civilians, working for the government in Germany and have been for many years. That's just public information.
You must be new to the area...and we are not in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, etc.
Go to USAJOBS.com and look before you speak. This is bases...not just soldiers.
They have been there for decades.

Get out of the United States? I just left Prague after eight years due to the pollution, overpriced everything and low earnings!

Do you think that Germany just let the United States stay and build bases? Delusional again. It was agreed upon and has benefited both sides greatly.
Now, due to BRAC, we are closing them. You speak for the entire German nation on being welcomed? :}
Why not, you try to speak as the opinion of each Czech. :}

Having been stationed there, I can assure you the German-American alliance is still strong, even with our weak president who inflicted great damage on our nation.

To the last writer, agreed, it is because their economies exist due to our presence, not disputed ( I mentioned economy, not missiles as the reason).
How does new infrastructure, schools, sewer, business and upgraded military sound to the Czechs?
According to those that make the decisions, pretty good!

Philip
San Fran

[14:45 13/05/2008] : and incidentally, my figure of 100,000 is correct, as well.

You should at least look into these things prior to commenting.
There are 70,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany. At LEAST another 30,000 civilians are working for the Department of Defense...

Germany contributes about a billion dollars a year to support U.S. forces....but we are not welcomed...OK, right :}

Americans spend more than $36 million in the region every year.

Everyone is opposed to this war and BUSH, but before you comment, you should investigate. Your comments show a severe bias against the United States, they NEVER come from a educated basis.

Many links could have given you this information. Here is one, and yes, PBS is a reputable source:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/jan-june05/bases_3-24.html

Philip
San Fran

[15:55 13/05/2008] : BTW- how comically sad that you should say that we INVADED Germany!(and then we stayed :) I wonder if the Jews feel the same way as you?

6 million dead! Shame on you for trying to turn that to benefit your one person crusade against the US.

Philip
San Fran

[16:03 13/05/2008] : FROM PETR BOKUVKA'S BLOG; THE CZECH DAILY WORD.

May 8 is celebrated as the Liberation Day on which Czechoslovakia was liberated from the Nazi Germany by the Russian Red Army as well as by the U.S. Third Army led by General Patton. No celebrations are taking place with the exceptions of the town of Plzen which is the most famous town to be liberated by Americans. As the rest of the country [generally speaking] was liberated by the Russians who ?came again? in 1968 and had occupied Czechoslovakia until 1989, people don't really feel like it.

NOW THATS AN INVASION AND STAYING! You have a lot of nerve, but not a lot of smarts...

http://czechdaily.wordpress.com/

Philip
San Fran

[20:49 13/05/2008] : Well, indeed the United States has been occupying many countries throughout the world, and in most of them (if not all) they are not welcome... besides... this radar base to be built has even been blackmailed with the promise for Czechs to enter the States with no visa... please do not defend a country that has invaded the internal and external affairs of countries all around the world... The Czechs do not want the United States in their country as it is an offense to their sovereignity...

Mario Villarreal
Mexico

[23:08 13/05/2008] : >>PBS is a reputable source

It is a very reliable source of information about the official U.S. government position on anything.

Incidentally, you seem to have missed the point. Yes, of course the Germans are glad that stupid American taxpayers are subsidizing their (higher) standard of living.
However, nobody there thinks that the troops are protecting them from invasion.

Margot Winston
Prague

Note: Comments that include profanity, personal attacks or any other inappropriate material are prohibited.

Radar treaty to be signed in June

Reader's comments:

Add your comment