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WORLD> America
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US abandons missile shield in Europe
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-17 22:51 Iranian missiles Some east Europeans see Russia's brief war with Georgia last year and confrontations with Ukraine over gas supplies as symptoms of a Russian 'neo-imperialism' driven by a view of eastern Europe as belonging to Moscow's sphere of influence.
"I don't think the enemy is just outside our gate...There is no sense in building a sense of danger from Russia. It's a different world now. Russia cannot just enter Poland, take part of the Czech Republic or carve up Slovakia." Ignoring US assurances that the system was not targeted at Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev threatened last year to station missiles in a Russian enclave near Poland if the United States implemented the plan. A senior Iranian government source said the move could signal a move away from what he called 'threats and confrontation' over Iran's nuclear program. "There could be two reasons behind such a decision; either the US has reached the conclusion that Iran is not a threat, or the Russians may have convinced the Americans that there is no need for such a defense shield." Multi-billion dollar contracts contested by US defense giants are at stake in the future of US missile defense plans. Boeing Co, the Pentagon's No.2 contractor, last month unveiled a proposal to build a mobile interceptor missile in a bid to blunt Russian fears of US fixed sites in Europe. Boeing, which manages the hub of a layered US anti-missile shield deployed in 2004, was eyeing a 47,500-pound interceptor that could be flown to NATO bases as needed.
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