"The plan to scrap missile defense in Eastern Europe could shift the geostrategic balance of power in the Caucasus....[M]issile defense has not been scrapped, as critics claim. Indeed, missiles are still going to be deployed in Europe, as well as at sea, and will actually be deployed earlier than under the Bush-era plan.
"Georgia...hopes the hunt for more effective bases for missile defense may increase its importance.
"This is because the Caucasus has emerged as one of the most important possible locations for a revamped missile defense plan. Situated on a direct path between Iran and Europe, the region has been discussed as a possible host site for early-warning systems and missiles for years." [30]
In a recent article, analyst Rakesh Krishnan Simha quoted Konstantin Sivkov, Vice President of the Moscow-based Academy of Geopolitical Problems, on the change in U.S. missile shield designs:
"By temporarily dropping its missile shield, the US is just trying to sell a dead cat for good money. But it's not a breakthrough that gives the US and NATO the right to demand military and technical concessions from Russia. One of the new radars and naval missile components could be set up in the Caucasus, anyway. Georgia has already agreed to host the radar." [31]
On September 22 A. Wess Mitchell, Director of Research at the Center for European Policy Analysis, was interviewed by the Trend News Agency of Azerbaijan about new U.S. missile shield intentions. "At present, the emphasis appears to be on the Balkans, Turkey and Israel."
The news site quoted another expert stating "Concerning Israel, the US has already installed a powerful missile defense radar in the Negev desert, so it might be considered a possibility to transfer the defense shield to Israel" and, citing Ephraim Kam, Deputy Head of the Institute for National Security Studies of Israel, revealed that "The U.S. can deploy the MDS [Missile Defense Shield] in Israel, but it is a possibility not linked necessarily to the abandoning of its missile system deployment in Eastern Europe or Central Europe." [32]
The Israeli daily Haaretz wrote on September 20 that the Israeli Defense Forces and the U.S. military were to include missile defense maneuvers in the course of their biennial Juniper Cobra war games next month. "[T]he drill is also part of U.S. President Barack Obama's new missile defense plan, under which the Pentagon will initially deploy ships with missile interceptors instead of stationing missile defense systems in Eastern Europe....The report came shortly before Defense Minister Ehud Barak was to leave for the United States, where he was to meet with his counterpart, Robert Gates." [33]
Another Israeli newspaper characterized the development like this:
"Israel and the US are preparing for an upcoming joint military exercise, dubbed Juniper Cobra - which will include the largest exercise yet between the IDF and the US Military's European Command (EUCOM) and the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA)." [34]
A Washington Post article of last week entitled "Israel Finds Strength in Its Missile Defenses: Advanced System Could Alter Strategic Decisions in Region" offered more details on interceptor plans for the Middle East, ones underway long before Washington's September 17 revelations.
"Israel and the United States [will conduct] a joint, biennial missile defense exercise, called Juniper Cobra, to work on integrating the weapons, radars and other systems of the two countries.
"Israel, for example, has the advanced U.S. X-Band radar stationed in the Negev desert. Israeli defense industry officials say the country also has almost real-time access to some U.S. satellite data, an important part of its early-warning system." [35]
The Middle East, the Balkans, the South Caucasus and the Baltic Sea region aren't lone in being intended sites for the expansion of American global missile shield deployments.
The Korea Times of September 22 confirmed that the plans are indeed international in reporting that "a local news report that the U.S. administration of President Barack Obama may ask South Korea to join the missile shield initiative despite its recent modification of the BMD [Ballistic Missile Defense] plan.
"The report cited a report written by the Missile Defense Agency affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense, describing South Korea as one of the nations to potentially join the BMD effort.
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