As Ceské Noviny succinctly states:
- “The situation later changed and Czechs are to have the opportunity to
seek technologically more demanding deals.â€
More opportunities have
arisen among the armament business and the scientific sectors because
there is widespread opposition to the proposed plan. A well-organized
coalition, under the general umbrella of the No Bases Initiative, has
taken on the task of representing the will of 68-70% of the citizenry
despite the continued dealmaking among high-ranking U.S. and Czech
officials.3
The official narrative for Rice’s visit to Prague
involves two treaties that are to be signed by representatives of the
two governments. One is a general treaty regarding the radar base and
the other, a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
The “treaties,â€
initiated by the U.S. under the present administration, are not
treaties. The primary “treaty†is an “executive agreement.†It
originated from the executive branch, circumventing congressional
oversight and approval.
The second, SOFA, as the complete wording
implies, is an agreement between countries regarding the stationing of
foreign troops.
On either of these agreements, the consensus of
U.S. citizens has never been sought nor ever a consideration.
Representatives and senators have not issued information on the plan to
their constituents, and the only update to emerge outside of
progressive sources in the U.S., has come from the Pentagon Press
Secretary.
At a DoD news briefing on June 17, Geoff Morrell told
reporters that closure on the Czech radar plans is a matter of
“finishing touchesâ€:
- “[I]...can tell you -- let me just give you an
overall update on where we stand on missile defense...We believe we'll
finish those [agreements] up soon and are on track for the U.S. and the
Czech Republic to sign a missile defense agreement next month.â€4
Rice
committing ink to paper in Prague does not represent a forgone
conclusion. The signed agreements must pass the scrutiny of the Czech
Parliament. Subsequent to this, if approval is gained, President Vaclav
Klaus must add his signature for the agreements to come into effect.
If
these two steps were to occur, funds for a contract previous negotiated
between the Pentagon and Raytheon for $400 million, would then be
released in full by the U.S. Congress. In turn, the relocation of the
X-band radar from the Marshall Islands to the Czech Republic would
begin.
Two timing considerations come into play with next week’s
Prague convergence: members of the Czech parliament will be up for
re-election soon and the current U.S. administration has six months
remaining in office.
Will members of parliament (MPs) vote as
representatives of the people?
With 68-70% of the population in
opposition to the radar base, the rational conclusion would be that the
agreements will not be ratified in this term. If Parliament does not
ratify the agreements this term, foreign policy regarding anti-missile
defense - and the more obvious concern, the will of the Czech people -
may be re-evaluated by the incoming U.S. president.
On July 8 in
Prague, reports place Rice in a five-star hotel, meeting briefly with
the upper echelon to sign “treaties,†and later dining at the U.S.
Embassy; members of the armament industry and scientists/researchers
will be attending a conference featuring presentations by Raytheon and
Boeing; and activists will be in the streets representing the will of
68-70% of the people.
It is yet to be seen which stratum of these
various groupings will have the most influence on the Czech Parliament.
Final agreement on the stationing of the radar base and U.S. troops on
Czech soil is ultimately not the decision of Rice, Raytheon or Boeing.
Despite the best efforts of the media and the military-industrial
complex to persuade the public otherwise, Czech MPs hold the key to the
present plan.
Notes:
1 Rebecca Christie, “Exclusive:
Raytheon Wins Big Bucks for Missile Radar Move,†Defensetech, 17 April
2008, http://www.defensetech.org/archives/004125.html
2 “Prague
to host conference on anti-missile defense,†Ceské Noviny, 30 June
2008, http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/index_view.php?id=320935
3
“More Czechs against US Missile Shield,†TVNZ, 5 June 2008,
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1830017; sell also Katrina vanden
Heuvel, “A New Solidarity,†The Nation, 24 June 2008,
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/332243
4 “DoD News Briefing
with Geoff Morrell from the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.,†U.S. Department
of Defense, 17 June 2008,
http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4246
Laray Polk is a multi-media artist and writer who lives in Dallas, Texas. She can be contacted at laraypolk@earthlink.net
