New Intelligence

Defense Secretary Robert Gates yesterday told lawmakers he has renewed hope for a cooperation with Russia on a ballistic missile defense system that would protect Europe against Iranian missiles.

The possibility of a BMD system on European soil has been a source of contention between Washington and Moscow ever since the project was proposed by the Bush administration. The Russians' concern is that the envisioned system, with interceptors in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic, could shoot down their missiles, thereby putting the effectiveness of Moscow's strategic deterrent at risk.

In addition, the Russians believed the system is unnecessary because Iran's missile technology has a ways to go.

Amid this all, the geometrics of missile defense comes into play. And that, according to some scientists, would favor a radar site somewhere in southeastern Russia to ensure an optimal distance to suspected launch sites in Iran.

"((W))e've made a number of offers in terms of how to partner, and I think there are still some opportunities -- for example, perhaps putting radars in Russia, having data exchange centers in Russia," Gates said yesterday at a Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing.

Gates then recounted a conversation with former Russian President Vladimir Putin on the subject.

And so I think the administration is very interested in continuing to pursue this prospect with the Russians, and it may be that our chances are somewhat improved for making progress, because I think the Russians -- when I first briefed -- when I first met with President Putin and talked about this, he basically dismissed the idea that the Iranians would have a missile that would have the range to reach much of Western Europe and much of Russia before 2020 or so. And he showed me a map that his intelligence guys had prepared, and I told him he needed a new intelligence service.

And the fact of the matter is, the Russians have come back to us and acknowledged that were right in terms of the nearness of the Iranian missile threat. And so my hope is -- and that they had been wrong. And so my hope is, we can build on that and perhaps -- perhaps at the president's summit meeting with President Medvedev, perhaps begin to make some steps where they will partner with us and Poland and the Czech Republic in going forward with missile defense in the -- this third site.

The summit meeting is scheduled for next month.