Now we know where Joe Biden came up with his controversial "test his mettle" remark, this John Rood guy, a senior State Department official:
AP: In discussing the state of Russian opposition to U.S. missile defense bases in Poland and the Czech Republic, Rood said it appears that Moscow has "paused" in anticipation of a new national security approach in Washington.Watch Obama talk about missile defense.
"My assessment is that the Russians intend to test the mettle of the new administration and the new president," he said. "The future will show how the new administration chooses to answer that challenge."
Asked to elaborate, he said, "I think missile defense and other subjects will be among those that the Russians intend to determine what the new administration's posture will be." He said he reached this conclusion on the basis of an impression gained during talks in Moscow on Monday rather than from explicit Russian statements.
No one is quite sure where Obama stands on missile defense but I think he's clear. Personally, I think missile defense is stupid. But what do I know? Nothing. I know nothing about missile defense, except that it sounds like Ronald Reagan's Star Wars system.
Obama's answer to missile defense -- he favors a missile defense system if the technology works --"works" is key. This is the same kind of response he gives on nuclear energy. He favors nuclear energy, so long as it can be stored safely. In other words, well, watch it here. Pretty clear to me. Obama is likely to sic his technology people on this. They will evaluate the worthiness of missile defense.
WSJ: From the press reports and statements regarding their brief exchange it seems Messrs. Obama and Kaczynski drew radically different conclusions on a critical issue -- missile defense. Mr. Kaczynski raised the subject, given the recent U.S.-Polish agreement to base missile defense assets in Poland. In the words of the Polish press statement about the call, Mr. Kaczynski heard Mr. Obama say "that the missile defense project would continue."
The Obama transition promptly issued a rebuttal: "President-elect Obama made no commitment on it. His position is as it was throughout the campaign -- that he supports deploying a missile defense system when the technology is proved to be workable."
This was a remarkable statement. Mr. Obama contradicted a head of state, clinging to a campaign position that could most kindly be described as weak and ambiguous. The statement also reflected a naiveté in the structuring of such transition conversations -- and future dealings with truly unfriendly foreign leaders -- that could have been avoided.
