HEILIGENDAMM, Germany - Russian President Vladimir Putin, bitterly opposed to a U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe, told President Bush on Thursday that Moscow would drop its objections if the system were located in Azerbaijan.

Putin told Bush he would not seek to retarget Russian missiles on Europe if the United States agreed to put the radar-based system in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic bordering the Caspian Sea.

Bush's reaction to Putin's idea was: "Interesting proposal â?? we have to have our experts look at it," according to White House National Security Adviser Steve Hadley. Hadley was in their hourlong meeting on the sidelines of a summit of the world's eight major industrialized democracies â?? the leaders' first since the dispute erupted earlier this year.

Bush has proposed basing the radar in the Czech Republic and interceptor rockets in Poland, rousing Moscow's suspicions that a system built in its backyard had to be aimed at it. The U.S. insisted the shield was aimed at any potential nuclear threat from Iran, not Russia, but Moscow declared the explanation "insufficient" as recently as Wednesday night.

With the dispute flaring in recent days into Cold War-style rhetoric and threats from Moscow, Putin's proposal to put the system in Azerbaijan came as a surprise.

U.S. officials scrambled to react afterward, huddling hurriedly before trying to explain it to the press. Though outright acceptance of such an idea seemed unlikely, the White House clearly wanted to avoid further inflaming tensions with a needed ally by giving Putin's idea short shrift.

"I think President Putin wanted to de-escalate the tensions a little bit on this issue, and I think it was a useful thing that he did," Hadley told a few reporters.

Putin said the existing radar station, built during Soviet times, is rented by Russia under a continuing agreement between Russia and Azerbaijan.

He argued the benefits of his suggested substitute: An Azerbaijan-based system would cover all of Europe rather than just part of it, and destroyed missile debris would fall in the ocean rather than on land.
Putin suggests new missile shield site - Yahoo! News

Very interesting counter-proposal.....makes sense also as far as the debris is concerned.

Have a good one!:s4:
Psycho4Bud Reviewed by Psycho4Bud on . Putin suggests new missile shield site HEILIGENDAMM, Germany - Russian President Vladimir Putin, bitterly opposed to a U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe, told President Bush on Thursday that Moscow would drop its objections if the system were located in Azerbaijan. Putin told Bush he would not seek to retarget Russian missiles on Europe if the United States agreed to put the radar-based system in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic bordering the Caspian Sea. Bush's reaction to Putin's idea was: Rating: 5