Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, right, meets with Czech Republic Foreign Minister Yan Kohout, left, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on Monday, Sept. 21, 2009.
(AP Photo/David Karp)
Ever since last week, when the Obama Administration announced that it was abandoning the Bush Administration's fixed missile defense plan in favor of a newer, faster, technologically advanced mobile one, many have expressed concern that we have slighted our Czech and Polish allies who expected to participate in the original plan. If feathers have been ruffled, we are sure Secretary Clinton managed to explain the wisdom of the new plan today to FM Kohout.
Here are their remarks.
Remarks With Czech Foreign Minister Kohout At Camera Spray Before Their Meeting
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Waldorf-Astoria
New York City
September 21, 2009
SECRETARY CLINTON: (Inaudible) very important delegation from the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic was very willing to work with the United States on behalf of missile defense in the past. We have, as you know, changed our approach, which we believe will actually provide greater coverage, and it will be rooted in technology that is ready to be employed. And we will be working with the Czech Republic again. We will be working within research and other approaches for the mutual and collective defense of our NATO allies. And we have a deep and long relationship with the Czech Republic, and I’m particularly pleased to have this opportunity to discuss a broad range of matters.
QUESTION: Madame Secretary, on Afghanistan, General McChrystal is warning of failure if more troops are not sent next year. What is the Administration’s strategy? How are you going to respond to that? Are you left without a choice?
SECRETARY CLINTON: No, but this is an important meeting with the Czech Republic, and they are our allies and friends in NATO and bilaterally. And we have a process going on with respect to our strategy in Afghanistan. As the President has said, it’s strategy before resources. And we’re soliciting and receiving advice and assessments from a broad range of those who are directly involved. And of course, we welcome General McChrystal’s thoughts, but that’s a classified pre-decisional memo, and we are looking to integrate everything that we’re doing. And then, of course, the President will make his decisions.
Thank you all.
QUESTION: Thank you.
Cross-posted at Still4Hill
