Dear Members and Friends,

This past week MDAA on behalf of its mission to make our world a safer place by the deployment and development of Missile Defense spent 7 days in the country of Poland. MDAA traveled throughout the country visiting the cities and communities of Krakow, Warsaw, Slupsk and Ustka listening to their leaders and their public on the issue of hosting a Missile Defense site. In addition, MDAA was able to meet with federal and local governments in Poland as well as with non-governmental organizations and think tanks to listen to their concerns about the prospects of hosting a missile defense site.

From MDAA’s perspective, two major issues remain within the Polish public and their leaders on the potential completion of an historic strategic security agreement that would place 10 United States two-stage ground based missile defense interceptors on their soil.

1. Strengthening the Security of Poland
2. Fair Compensation

The ability of the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his government to have the political courage to move forward on these two issues provided that they are completed to their satisfaction and then their ability to articulate clearly these two issues to the Polish public is the predicament the Prime Minister now faces. The Prime Minister Mr. Tusk visits the United States this weekend and meets with President George W. Bush on Monday, March 10th. The last two rounds of negotiations between the countries will conclude at the end of today in Warsaw. A lack of decision will further put pressure on Poland as the April 2nd NATO Summit meeting nears as well as the U.S. Congressional funding processes in April.

From the United States perspective, these two outstanding issues are easily answered as having a strategic relationship with the world’s preeminite military power to host a strategic asset that provides protection of the National Security of the United States and its people as well as its allies in Europe. The United States will defend this military asset because of its vital strategic value thus creating an enhanced security for Poland in addition to its protection from being a NATO member. Secondly, the United States will provide an tremendous long term economic impact into the region of both direct and indirect benefits for the construction and sustainment of the site, the United States is also providing real assets and support to the Poland to enhance and modernize its military forces, a benefit that the United States rarely if at all gives to country’s hosting US military facilities.

This decision is not in the hands of the United States it is in the hands of the new Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his government to make or not. There will be tremendous consequences on Poland no matter which decision the Prime Minister makes on Missile Defense. We wish him and the Polish people the very best as they determine this historic decision or non-decision.

“You can’t stop what is coming, if you think you can it’s Vanity”