Schwarzenberg: purpose of building radar up for discussion if rogue states change stance

Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has said that the purposefulness of building a US radar in the Czech Republic could be up for discussion if countries such as Iran ‘change their stance’ on nuclear weapons. Speaking at a NATO meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Mr Schwarzeberg reiterated that the American radar was not planned as a defence against Russia. The Bush administration unveiled plans to build a radar base in the Czech Republic and station ten interceptor missiles in Poland as part of America’s global missile-shield. New US president Barack Obama has said that he will go ahead with the project only if it is proven to be ‘cost-effective’ and proven to work.