Patriot Missile Battery On Watch

Bush-McCain Policies Towards Russia Only Promise A Dangerous Arms Race

Paul Hooson, writing at Wizbang Blue:

The decision by President Bush to send 10 Patriot missiles and about 100 U.S. soldiers to Poland is a dangerous escalation of the rapidly worsening relations with Russia since their military actions in Georgia.

Again with the “defensive weapons are sooooo threatening” line of reasoning. Hooson argues that since 10 Patriot missiles can’t defend Poland against “a Russian warhead force of 5518 warheads and more than 1,100 total missile launchers” it’s provocative. However, Hooson is toally misreading the situation. We aren’t sending “10 Patriot missiles” to defend Poland against thousands of Russian nuclear warheads, we’re sending Patriot missile batteries to Poland for air defense in exchange for the right to, in the future, base 10 interceptors for protection against rogue-type states like Iran.

Now why, oh, why would someone like Poland feel the need for some top-notch air defense.

Could it be, oh, I don’t know….Geeeeoooorgia?

It was Russian air superiority which allowed their forces to move easily into South Ossetia and on into Georgia. Not that Geogia could have stood for long against Russia, but what stands they did make were hampered and withdrawals chaotic with a lot of heavy equipment left behind. It comes as a surprise to no one that owning the air makes it much easier to control the situation on the surface.

Russia may have re-established itself as the heaviest hitter on the block last week, but they probalby also convinced a lot of their neighbors to beef up the anti-air capability.

Honestly, who could blame them?