WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US nuclear deal with Iran will not lead to any wider move to reach a missile defense agreement in Europe with Russia because of continuing prejudices and corporate interests, American experts told Sputnik.
“The question is serious. My personal view is that no response whatsoever will be given to [Russian Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov's request for clarification on the European ABM [anti-ballistic missile deployment] in light of the deal with Iran,” American Committee for East West Accord European Coordinator Gilbert Doctorow told Sputnik on Tuesday.
Doctorow blamed the continuing deadlock in part on the personal animus the US President has consistently displayed towards Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“President Barack Obama is so heavily invested in vilification of Putin and disparagement of Russia generally that a change of direction during his remaining time in office is implausible,” he stated.
Once Iran was removed as a credible reason for deploying missile defense systems in Europe, a threat from Russia had to be invented or exaggerated to provide a substitute justification for the deployment, he explained.
“Russia, by contrast, has just been promoted back to the level of global challenge, as during the Cold War,” Doctorow pointed out. “As of last week, Russia is acknowledged by Washington as the only nation in the world posing an 'existential threat' to the United States.”
US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry accused Russia of being “one country that clearly poses an existential threat” to the United States.
At his Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) confirmation hearing to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford stated Russia presents the greatest threat to US national security.
“Under these circumstances the fig leaf of 'rogue nations' like Iran to justify the European ABM system can be dropped without hint of self-contradiction,” Doctorow argued.
“There is no way that the United States will terminate its missile defense program because of the Iranian deal,” Lozansky told Sputnik. “I am sure we will hear dozens of reasons why we still need it.”
Lozansky noted new accusations might even be manufactured against Iran to justify continued ABM deployments in Europe.
“Perhaps one of such reasons will be the probability of Iran's possible cheating or likely appearance of new threats,” he said.
Lozansky argued that the best way to achieve strategic security in Europe would be for the United States to offer a full partnership with Russia and China in building anti-ballistic missile defenses.
“If we still want to continue with this project the most logical way would be to invite Russia and possibly China to join in its development, thus turning current adversaries into partners,” he concluded.
This approach would fit with former US President Ronald Reagan's thinking about building missile defense and sharing such technology with others, Lozansky said.
