missile defense cooperation

Lt. General Obering Meets the Press  

Lt. General Henry A. Obering III

March 15, 2007

During his breakfast roundtable with 26 German and international journalists on March 15, U.S. Missile Defense Director Lt. General Henry Obering outlined American missile defense plans and fielded a number of questions about the level of US consultations with Russia and Europe. General Obering emphasized that U.S. missile defense activities are a response to an "aggressive Iranian program" and that the U.S. system is purely "defensive" and is "in no way" a threat to the Russian missile fleet. He said he himself had briefed the NATO-Russia Council twice and noted the regular consultative sessions the U.S. has had on the subject with Europe and Russia. Obering said there is a "standing invitation to Russia to visit U.S. missile defense facilities, and that it would also be "okay" for Russia to visit our facilities in Europe, provided the host nations do not object. In response to questions about a potential new arms race with Russia being driven by American missile defense efforts, Obering said the arms race "we are concerned about is the one being led by Iran." He characterized the Iranian threat as "hostile" and based on Tehran's capabilities and intentions. Obering said the U.S. system to be deployed in Poland and the Czech Republic would be separate but "complementary" to missile defense assets to be developed by NATO.

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