News of Radio Prague
US President arrives in Prague for NATO summit
The US President George Bush arrives in Prague this evening ahead of this week's historic NATO summit. Mr. Bush told newsmen, prior to departure, that his priorities were to ready the alliance for its new mission in combating international terrorism and to line up European support for a looming confrontation with Iraq. Seven east European nations will be invited to join the 19 member security alliance and President Bush emphasized that this was not a move directed against Russia. "Today we face a new threat, and the alliance must be restructured to meet it," the US president told reporters. In the course of the two day summit alliance leaders are expected to give the green light to a strike force for high intensity warfare and to revamping NATO's increasingly obsolete military command structure.
Security tightened in wake of bomb discovery
Security measures were further tightened on Tuesday following the discovery of an explosive device on a rail track near Prague. A police spokeswoman confirmed that the device was found by rail workers near the Prague-Kyje train station, a few kilometers from a military airfield on the city's east side. The bomb was safely defused and no one was injured. Interior Minister Stanislav Gross ordered extra safety precautions a few hours later, including an order that trains in and around Prague should not exceed a speed limit of thirty kilometers per hour.
President Havel on security
The incident prompted President Havel to say that although the Czech Republic was doing everything in its power to provide security, risks would remain throughout the summit. "Terrorist attacks can happen wherever and whenever. There is no place in the world today where you would get a 100% guarantee of safety" Mr. Havel told reporters. Last Thursday the police arrested five people for allegedly plotting to cut power supply to the summit venue. Czech border officials have refused some 250 foreigners entry into the Czech Republic on the grounds of being a potential security threat. Many of them were on a blacklist of "undesirable persons", others were found to have iron rods, tear gas or other suspicious objects in their possession.
Security measures in Prague
As delegates to the NATO summit arrive in Prague, the police has stepped up its presence in the streets of the Czech capital. Twelve thousand policemen and four thousand soldiers have been assigned to protect the 2,000 summit delegates from anti-NATO demonstrators and terrorists. Over the next three days some parts of the Czech capital will be closed to the public.
President Havel on air defense
President Havel has expressed support for the idea of securing the Czech Republic's air defense system in cooperation with Slovakia. On Monday the Czech Cabinet officially cancelled a plan to buy 24 supersonic Gripen fighter jets as replacement for the country's aging Soviet-era planes. Faced with a mounting budget deficit and the cost of this year's devastating floods, the government has been forced to consider a less costly way of securing the country's air defense. One option that is being seriously considered is the possibility of cooperating on air defense with the Czech Republic's eastern neighbour Slovakia. The Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan has said Slovakia is ready to discuss the idea.
Weather:
Wednesday should be partly cloudy to overcast with scattered showers and day temperatures between 5 and 9 degrees Celsius.
