Biden reassures ČR of defense role

Joe Biden was biding his time, delivering a keynote speech more than two hours behind schedule at Government House, Oct. 23. The U.S. vice president dashed into and out of Prague to deliver a reassuring message, he hoped, that the United States was not using "reset diplomacy" with Russia at the expense of the Czech Republic.

With journalists locked in for security reasons, Biden finally delivered bland reassurances, confident in the knowledge that he would not face any hostile questioning from the assembled journalists.

In September, the Obama White House scrapped the proposed missile shield, announcing it hamfistedly on the anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. Biden was quick to get the anniversaries dealt with first. "This is the fifth anniversary," he said, "of the Czech Republic joining the EU, the 10th of the Czech Republic joining NATO and the 20th of the Velvet Revolution. I don't think people here realize just how inspirational that was."

With anniversaries out of the way, he peddled "missile lite" without addressing the two main concerns. If the missile shield was axed in September because Iran, ostensibly, did not have the advanced missile technology the shield was meant to guard against, why was there now a newer, slimmed-down version on offer? And did "reset diplomacy" with Moscow come at the price of Central Europe's sovereignty?

The lock-in was hardly surprising given security concerns, though a possible reason for the delay in Biden's timetable may have been to do with the elaborate breakfast he shared with Czech leaders before his speech. The journalists were ushered into an ornate room for photo opportunities and were immediately greeted by Biden, who pointed to the table and asked if we would like some pineapples and strawberries that were mostly untouched on the table. We had been corralled away from the bountiful table, so a quick grab was physically impossible. We had, earlier, been given some stale ham and cheese sandwiches, but what we really craved was strong coffee. This, though, was not on offer. Then we tailed Biden back to the conference hall.  

Sharing the stage with Prime Minister Jan Fischer, Biden spoke first, and thanked the Czech people for their support of Afghani operations, not just the soldiers but their relatives, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, wives and husbands, mothers and fathers.

"An Englishman once said," Biden said, in no-questions-can-be-asked full-flow, "they who serve also serve those who stand and wait" meaning that "I am thankful and appreciative of the sacrifices made by those who remain behind."

This being Biden, some latitude was expected. The exact quote from English poet John Milton (1608-74) was slightly different.

"His state is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,

And post o'er land and ocean without rest;

They also serve who only stand and wait."

Neither were there clear lines on missile lite. Fischer, when his turn to speak arrived, was adamant any Czech participation must come in the framework of NATO and not as a solely bilateral deal that would complicate Czech relations with its neighbors.

"The Czech Republic is prepared, as a NATO member, to contribute to a new architecture" of the missile shield, Fischer said.

He emphasized that the approach is not bilateral but multilateral. "It'll be primarily an alliance project, continuing with (the alliance's) foreign policy and missions," Fischer said.

No specifics of missile lite were discussed, Fischer added. Hardly surprising this as Fischer is head of a caretaker government that has no mandate in itself to sign up to such a significant defense pact.  

Biden said the missiles would enhance not just Czech security but that of the United States and the world, and that a team of U.S. specialists would arrive in Prague in November to iron out details, again suitably vague.

With winter approaching, Biden touched on energy and gave assurances the United States would work to ensure Czechs don't become more or too dependent on Russian energy.

Biden said the White House supports the Nabucco natural gas pipeline, and he said he had discussed a potential bid by Westinghouse to build a new nuclear reactor at the Temelín nuclear site. Bids have to be in at the end of October. How this will square with reset diplomacy is also vague.

At the end of the speech, Biden went over to Fischer and gave him an honorific not yet earned. "Thank you, Mr. President," Biden said and made his exit. The journalists were still locked in and faced very polite but firm, short-haired U.S. security officials at Government House telling us to wait until the Vice President had left.

As Biden was whisked away through the streets of Prague, his 30-vehicle convoy passed a small group of protesters waving anti-missile flags. They were quickly ushered away by the police, but their flags, put in storage in September, have reappeared quicker than anyone would have predicted.  

Tom Clifford can be reached at
tclifford@praguepost.com