EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The United States and the Czech Republic are once again negotiating the possibility of building part of the US missile defence system in Prague, Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas said on Friday. The Pentagon has already requested a sum of $2.2 million for the building from the US Congress. The facility should be able to detect and give an early warning in case a short- or medium-range missiles aimed at Nato countries. According to sources from the Czech Foreign Ministry, the new site should consist of two offices with equipment gathering data on enemy missiles, Czech daily Hospodarske noviny (HN) has reported. Mr Necas said that only a handful of people would be needed to run the site and that the personnel could be drawn from the Czech army after undergoing training. The exact location has yet to been determined, but Prague or its environs is the main option.
The facility should be able to detect and give an early warning in case a short- or medium-range missiles aimed at Nato countries.
According to sources from the Czech Foreign Ministry, the new site should consist of two offices with equipment gathering data on enemy missiles, Czech daily Hospodarske noviny (HN) has reported.
Mr Necas said that only a handful of people would be needed to run the site and that the personnel could be drawn from the Czech army after undergoing training. The exact location has yet to been determined, but Prague or its environs is the main option.
Mine keeps telling me that "site to be built" means "done deal, money's changed hands", while "again negotiating" and "the possibility" mean that it is "not done yet, gotta do more work, may not come together, kinda like earlier deals with Poland".
But, what the heck. It is only two offices of equipment--though I don't know how big that is in reference to the International Standard Football Pitch. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
