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In the event that Poland’s and the Czech Republic’s parliaments don’t ratify agreements signed by the U.S. and the two countries to build missile defense bases, the U.S. will consider alternate installation sites. Missile Defense Agency commander Lt. Gen. Henry Obering didn’t elaborate about specific locations.

Obering stressed the urgency of building the bases. “Most of the intelligence community believes that the Iranians are going to have a capability to threaten certainly all of Europe. In fact, that’s something they believe could happen shortly, within the year…And they can threaten the United States in the next five to six years.”

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek reportedly said parliament should delay a final decision until President-Elect Barack Obama takes office in January. Target dates for completion of the bases are between 2011 and 2013.

On a related note, the U.S. State Department’s top arms control official said the U.S. is attempting to quell Russia’s concerns about the Polish and Czech missile defense bases. Russia has been critical of these plans, perceiving hostility from the U.S.

John Rood, Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said the U.S. has sent Russia an offer to allow Russian monitors access to the bases to confirm that installations will not be aimed at Russia.

Hood said he was disappointed by Russia’s threats at retaliation, but the U.S. will not “disengage or something of that nature…Rather, to the contrary, we think it’s just as important as ever to talk to the Russians about their concerns. We don’t think that there’s a legitimate basis to view what we’ve done, our plans, in Poland the Czech Republic as a threat to Russia.”

Will allowing inspections satisfy Russia? Probably not.

(Sources: NTI and State Department)