Germany

German Defense Minister in Favor of US Missile Shield in Europe

German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung on Thursday expressed support for the US plan to build a missile shield in central Europe.

Jung said he still believes diplomacy can resolve the tension with Iran

Some in Germany have expressed fears of a new arms race with Russia

The latest developments with Iran’s nuclear program reinforce the case for deploying a missile shield to protect Europe from attacks, Jung told Reuters in an interview Thursday.

The United States wants to build a radar station in the Czech Republic and a missile battery in Poland as a shield against possible nuclear attacks from what it calls "rogue states," namely Iran and North Korea.

Timely precautions

Jung said he still believes diplomacy can resolve the tension with Iran

The controversial plan has met with opposition among the ruling coalition in Germany, as well as in Russia and central Europe. Jung, a Christian Democrat, is the first high-ranking German official to speak out strongly in favor of the missile shield plan.

"Timely precautions must be taken against the foreseeable increase of the range of offensive missiles of certain problem states, even if it concerns long-term developments," Jung told Reuters.

Though the minister avoided naming Iran directly in the interview, it was clear that he had Iran as well as North Korea in mind.

When asked how close he thought Iran was to constructing a nuclear weapon, the defense minister said, "According to expert assessments, Iran is years away from that point." He added that it was still possible to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power through democracy.

Hope for diplomacy

Ahmadinejad has drawn criticism from the West

"We can do everything possible to prevent Iran from successfully combining long-range missile and atomic weapons," said Jung. "And I'm hopeful that we -- the United States, Europe, Russia and China -- can achieve this diplomatically."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Monday that his country was now capable of enriching uranium on an "industrial scale."

Despite UN appeals for the suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment program, Tehran has insisted that its nuclear activities are intended to generate energy.

Date 12.04.2007

Author DW staff (kjb)

Print print this page

DW.DE

US Missile Shield a Trump Card in a Game of German Politics

Part of Germany's grand coalition, the Social Democrats, have been accused of banking on anti-US rhetoric to boost their flagging fortunes. It's a charge the SPD rejects, saying disarmament has long been a party plank. (21.03.2007)

In Search of a Common Line on Shield System

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU needs to agree on one position toward US plans to station defensive missiles in eastern Europe. But the call for unity was also directed at her coalition partners in Germany. (21.03.2007)

Governing Coalition Partners Slam US Missile Shield

Over the weekend, Chancellor Angela Merkel's left-of-center coalition partners sharply criticized US plans to put parts of its missile shield in Europe. They said the project could spark a new arms race. (19.03.2007)

More on this topic

Duisburg voters remove Love Parade mayor from office 12.02.2012

Mayor Adolf Sauerland has been voted out of office in the German city of Duisburg. Residents who blame Sauerland for 21 deaths at the Love Parade music festival in 2010 forced the vote.

Evidence in neo-Nazi case said to be deleted 12.02.2012

Germany's federal criminal agency is said to have ordered the deletion of data related to the neo-Nazi terror investigation, according to a newspaper report.

European divisions over ACTA deepen 11.02.2012

The international copyright treaty is meant to improve the protection of intellectual property. But critics fear the deal could severely restricts Internet freedoms.