Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 17 / Trend , E.Tariverdiyeva/
The Barack H. Obama administration's decision to cancel missile defense program in Central Europe is, unfortunately, short-sighted and counterproductive, believes Roman Joch, Director of the Civic Institute of Prague.
"The U.S. badly underestimates the Iranian missile and nuclear program, hence could potentially have grave consequences for lives of hundreds of thousands human beings," Joch wrote to Trend in an email.
According to the Czech media on Thursday, citing a diplomatic source, the U.S. President, Barack Obama on Sept. 17 informed the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Jan Fischer on canceling to deploy the U.S. missile defense system in the Czech, RIA Novosti reported.
The expert believes regardless the reasons of the Obama administration, the decision will be generally perceived as an attempt to appease Russia, hence as a sign of Obama's weakness face to face Russia. "It could only encourage Russian adventurism in the so-called "Near Abroad"," Joch said.
Refusal from the MDS in Europe is a hostile act towards American allies in (Central)
Europe, the expert said.
"This step indicates, that Obama thinks that he does not need allies, hence he will lose allies," Joch said. "Obama, by being cold, even hostile, towards allies (United Kingdom, Poland,
Czech Republic, Israel, Honduras) and by being kind towards foreign enemies (North Korea, Iran, Venezuela), risks putting America into an isolation - into a position without any allies at all."
This decision, unfortunately, has been an act of unilateralism par excellence, the expert believes.
"Obama hasn't consulted allies, he just made the decision unilaterally - which means another snub towards allies," Joch said.
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