If only the world matched U.S. President Obama’s rosy image of it. Perhaps then pre-emptive concessions to other nations, in the hope of prompting reciprocation, might make sense, reports an editorial from The New York Post.
Last month, the president unilaterally scrapped plans to deploy an Eastern European missile-defense shield meant to take out incoming Iranian missiles.
Obama’s administration said the gesture was meant to improve relations with Russia, though the decision broke a Bush administration pledge to U.S. allies in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Earlier, Washington seemed to be eyeing a deal: Russia’s cooperation with efforts to contain Iran in exchange for America’s ditching its missile-shield program. After all, with Russia’s help against Iran, it was argued, the shield might not be necessary.
However, Moscow refused to bite. It wasn’t going to accept U.S. anti-missile missiles in Eastern Europe no matter what. Nor would it make any commitments regarding Iran.
No matter. A rosy-eyed White House nonetheless went ahead and canceled the missile-defense plans anyway, in the hope that its show of good will would be reciprocated.
According to The New York Post, Washington lost a huge bargaining chip. With the missile shield no longer a worry for Russia, there now may be no way to push it to help stop Iran.
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