NEWS WATCH: US Tells Russia Iran Still Is a Threat

Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Rood spoke in Budapest where he met a Russian delegation, before heading to  the Czech Republic Friday, December 14, for more talks on the controversial program.   

He admitted there was little progress when he spoke with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak in the Hungarian capital Thursday, December 13, to discuss US plans to install the missile defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland.

However, Rood described the negotiations as useful, saying he exchanged key intelligence with Russian officials in an effort to ease fears about the system. "I think it has been a useful dialogue and to my knowledge the most detailed exchange of intelligence information we have ever had with our Russian colleagues. This is intelligence information the United States has previously only shared with NATO allies," he told BosNewsLife and other reporters.

STRONG OPPOSITION

Moscow has expressed strong opposition to the planned missile defense system, which will cost at least roughly $300 million. Rood said he tried to convince the Russian delegation that the system is aimed at what Washington views as "rogue states" such as North Korea and Iran.

Rood also disagreed with those who say the program is no longer necessary in the wake of a new U.S. intelligence report that says Iran likely abandoned its nuclear arms program four years ago. "It is an estimate on the status of Iran ‘s nuclear [weapons] program. We are concerned about Iran’s ballistic missile program as well," he cautioned.

"We recently saw the Iranian defense minister making public statements with regard to Iran developing two new medium range ballistic missiles. This statement simply highlights our concerns about the direction of the Iranian ballistic missile program. And we would be concerned about the progression of that kind of ballistic missile capability regardless of the type of payload carried, whether that be conventional, nuclear, chemical, biological," Rood said.

MORE DISAGREEMENTS

Rood said however that missile defense isn’t the only area of disagreement with Russia. In his meeting with Russian officials, Rood expressed US concerns about Moscow’s decision to withdraw from the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, or CFE, which helped to end the Cold War. "Although our talks focused on missile defense, I have registered…that the United States regrets Russia’s decision…," he explained 

Rood said he had made clear that the United States, NATO and other allies will closely monitor Russia’s next military moves.

This was the fourth meeting of senior-level US and Russian officials under an initiative launched by American President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in July in the United States. (NEWS WATCH: Covers hard hitting news developments impacting the Church and/or compassionate professionals. This BosNewsLife News Story also airs on the Voice of America (VOA) network via www.voanews.com.)