Decision on missile shield may be either next failure or first success of Obama: expert

"If President Obama changed this strategy without getting a quid pro quo from Russia, this would be another foreign policy failure for him," Salzman said.

"If he gets some substantive and substantial concession from Russia, this would be his first foreign policy success."

On Sept.17, U.S. President Obama made a statement on the refusal of the United States from its plans to deploy U.S. missile defense system in Eastern Europe.

Washington claimed that the deployment of radar in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland is necessary to be protected from unpredictable countries, primarily Iran. But on Thursday, Obama said that U.S. intelligence had changed its assessment of the capabilities of the Iranian nuclear program.

According to the Canadian expert, the Obama administration says that there are good strategic reasons for changing the deployment of defensive missiles.

For example, they say that the new plans result in a ready system much sooner, and that the new locations would be better for defence against Iran, the expert said.

But on this eve, the U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the Iranian missile threat was not as close as was thought formerly - Tehran does not have necessary technology for intercontinental missiles, and they will not appear as soon as expected, Vesti television channel reported.

Currently Iran has focused on development of rockets of small and long distance, and the missile defense program in Europe is corrected to confront this threat, said U.S. Secretary of Defense on Thursday.  

The old program is now proposed to be replaced with new one envisaging more mobile and technology-based protection, in particular it is planned to use missile systems of near and mid-radius of Patriot type.

Salzman says Russia is happy with Washington's decision because there won't be an increased American presence in Eastern Europe.

"But the main question is will they actually reciprocate and return the favour?"

"It is easy to be sceptical, because Russia does not see it in her interest to support American power and influence, the expert said. And of course it has own interests in Iran."

/Trend News/