San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

FAIR AND BALANCED: Obama’s new plan hurts foreign relations

    MCT Campus

    While Americans remained fixated on relatively minor domestic issues such as the ACORN scandal or the censuring of Rep. Joe Wilson, a fundamental shift in our foreign policy priorities occurred without much warning.

    Last Thursday, President Barack Obama declared that America would be scrapping plans to deploy an anti-ballistic missile system in Eastern Europe to counter potential Iranian warheads and replace it with a sea and land-based program that focuses on shorter range projectiles.

    Although the new plan may adequately address the threat from Iran, the president’s missile defense realignment completely neglects our Eastern European allies. This system threatens to erode American interests in the region by encouraging and emboldening a resurgent and hostile Russia.

    The military argues that this new system will better address the current threat of shorter range missiles, which recent intelligence reports suggest are now Iran’s main focus. If true, the revision makes logical sense. Such an argument puts the president in the uncomfortable situation of having to rely on unverifiable reports about a hostile nation’s weapons program. This is the same situation that his predecessor found himself in and was a primary reason for Obama’s ascension into office. This is coupled with the administration’s obsessive desire to investigate, limit and generally degrade our intelligence services with trials, probes and accusations.

    Assuming the reports are correct, the new system still makes America and its allies less safe. The value of the old system lay in tactical abilities and symbolic importance. In former President George W. Bush’s administration, the radar and interceptor missiles would have been permanently placed in Poland and the Czech Republic. The presence of American soldiers in the former Soviet bloc would have cemented military commitment to our democratic allies and sent an unequivocal message to a Russia still dreaming of reclaiming its lost empire.

    By reneging on our promises to our allies, our credibility will be tarnished and we will find it increasingly difficult to extract favors from our skeptical friends.

    Former President Lech Walesa fo Poland suggested his country “should reconsider our approach to the U.S.” Former Czech Prime Minister, Mirek Topolanek, interpreted the decision to mean that his country is not “anchored by a strong security partner, a strong ally,” according to the BBC.

    The Russians understand the symbolic importance of having U.S. soldiers on the ground. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has vehemently objected since the idea was formulated. This is not because the proposed 10 interceptor missiles pose a risk to Russia’s thousands of missiles, but because their presence detracts from his goal to reunite the old Soviet Union by dominating comparatively weak allies.

    Some have defended Obama’s unilateral concession, hoping for a grand, geopolitical bargain where our removal of the missile shield would, in turn, illicit Russian cooperation on Iran, specifically for U.N. sanctions and the cessation of weapon sales.

    Sadly, this support is misguided. A U.S.-led war against Iran would be in Russia’s national interests and Obama’s overture will do nothing to get the Russians to ignore that outcome.

    With the Russians expected to veto any effective sanctions and Iran refusing to give up its nuclear program, the U.S. and Israel will be forced to attack. The supply disruption and subsequent spike in oil prices will greatly enrich Russia 8212; a major exporter of petroleum.

    Additionally, with the U.S. forced to commit even more soldiers to the Middle East, Russia will have a much freer hand to act aggressively against our interests in Eastern Europe.

    This missile realignment is truly a litmus test for Obama’s foreign policy rationale. If reaching out to Russia provides demonstrable and tangible results, then the president’s optimistic and progressive vision for the future will have been justified. More likely, however, if his sacrifice yields nothing, then those of us who have feared that the president is a naïve, dangerously unaware and utopian statesman will have been vindicated.

    However unlikely, for the future of national security, let us hope the president is right.

    8212;Tucker Wincele is a political science and economics senior.

    8212;This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to opinion@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

    8212;Include your full name, major and year in school.

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