Romania to Host U.S. Missile Shield

In an announcement more apt for a dinner party than a defense memorandum, Romania has agreed to host a new U.S. missile shield in its territory aimed at protecting Western interests from the “emerging threat” of Iranian ballistic missiles. —JCL

The BBC:

Romania has agreed to host missile interceptors as part of a new US defence shield, its president says.

President Traian Basescu said the plan was approved by the defence council. It still needs parliamentary approval.

The US scrapped a previous missile shield, based in Poland and the Czech Republic, which had infuriated Russia.

Instead the new system would provide better defence from “the emerging threat” of Iranian short- and medium-range missiles, a US official said.

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nytimes.com

Iran released this photo in July 2008 of missiles being test-fired in the desert. Trouble is, the photo had apparently been digitally altered to show four missiles rising into the air, when in fact one never left the pad.