Social Democrats say base would have to be part of NATO defense

Opposition leader Jiri Paroubek says in an article published in Monday's Lidove Noviny that the radar project would be acceptable if it were part of NATO s joint defense and if Czechs themselves could decide by means of a referendum where it should be located. In related news, President Klaus on Monday slammed the Social Democrat's cautious stand on the US radar, saying it had been the Social Democrat government which started secret talks on the radar with Washington and had not even bothered to inform the head of state about them.