US surface-to-air Patriot missiles at Polish military base by Zuzana Zelenakova

The town of Morag in northern Poland, distanced only about 60 kilometers from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad between Poland and Lithuania, became the garrison of a US Patriot Missile Defense battery. The battery of US Patriot missiles reached Morag on Monday with more than 100 soldiers that will be stationed there. They will not only service the battery, but also instruct Polish soldiers in operating it. "Ceremonies associated with the first rotation of the Patriot missile battery will be held Wednesday, May 26, in Morag", Polish defence ministry spokesman Janusz Sejmej said in a statement. The country that belonged to the Eastern bloc in the past is now facing a stron! g opposition from its neighbor, Russia, which is obviously more than unhappy with a deployment of US forces so close to the border. "The U.S. anti-missile activity in Poland is unjustified and causes our concern," said a Russian foreign ministry spokesman last month. In the future, Poland is to host also a base of SM-3 missiles. The Patriot missiles base was Poland´s condition in the 2008 deal with the United States that was aimed at protecting the US and Europe against possible Iranian attacks. The original missile defense plan of President Bush was reshaped by the Obama administration in September 2009, one of the goals was to ease the tensions regarding Russian reaction. The Patriot missiles were transported to Morag by train from US base in Kaiserslautem, Germany. The missiles and the soldiers are deployed in Poland on temporary basis for the next two years. Their arrival was the result of Poland´s ratification of the so called SOFA – Supplemental Status! of Forces Agreement, which is an agreement between a host cou! ntry and a foreign nation that is stationing its military forces in that country. So far, the United States has the largest military presence in foreign countries.

related story (sgx17380): http://www.france24.com/en/20100525-poland-set-unveil-patrio...

by Zuzana Zelenakova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

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