Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

Putin Threatens Ukraine Over NATO, U.S. Missile Shield
Russian President Vladimir Putin is threatening to aim nuclear missiles at Ukraine if the Ukrainian government joins NATO and takes part in the Bush administration’s European missile system. The U.S. says the missile system is needed to defend against a potential threat from Iran, but it’s widely seen as a first-strike weapon.

U.S. Rejects Space Weapons Ban
Meanwhile, at the UN, the U.S. has rejected a new call for a ban on weapons in space. A draft treaty submitted by Russia and China Tuesday calls for the prevention of weapons in space and the threat or use of force there. But the White House rejected the measure, saying the U.S. opposes any attempt “to prohibit or limit access to or use of space.”

Pentagon to Shoot Down Spy Satellite
The Pentagon says it plans to shoot down a malfunctioning spy satellite before it falls to earth carrying potentially lethal gas. On Thursday, General James Cartwright said the military will try to hit the satellite before it reaches the atmosphere.

General James Cartwright: “Once it hits the atmosphere, it tumbles, it breaks apart. It is very unpredictable and next to impossible to engage. So what we’re trying to do here is catch it just prior to its last minute, so it’s at its lowest possible outside the atmosphere, so that the debris comes down as quickly as possible.”

The Pentagon says its not trying to protect classified information on the satellite, nor showcase its missile-capabilities to China, which shot down a satellite of its own last year.

A Czech Republic delegation is in Washington this week to finalize plans for a US missile system in Eastern Europe. Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said his government would ignore Russian objections.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek: “But we do not want to belong again to the sphere of Russian influence. We don’t want to belong to a group of countries which have to ask Russia for permission if they want to insure their own defense. Having the anti-missile defense elements placed on our territory thus strengthens our strategic significance and geopolitical position.”

The US wants to install at least ten missiles in Poland, along with a radar site in the Czech Republic. Public opinion polls continue to show majority opposition to the missile shield in both countries.