US President George W Bush said Monday that US plans to install a missile defence system in Eastern Europe are not directed at Russia but instead aim to protect against the growing ballistic missile threat posed by countries like Iran, according to dpa. Bush said he will continue to "reach out to Russia" to make it clear that "this missile shield is not directed at them, but, in fact, directed at other nations that could conceivably affect the peace of Europe. Bush, speaking to reporters at his ranch in Crawford, Texas with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said the alliance must be protected against long range ballistic missile threats. US plans to deploy 10 interceptors in Poland and a radar site in the Czech Republic have prompted Moscow to warn of a fresh arms race on the continent. The United States has said that despite Russian anger over the plans the Kremlin will not be allowed to dictate national security interests for NATO. De Hoop Scheffer said he will work within the alliance to gain support for missile defence to deal with the "vulnerabilities" the trans-Atlantic alliance faces. "It will be now up to NATO, and I'll try to lead NATO into that direction," de Hoop Scheffer said. The long range interceptor base the United States hopes to have complete in Eastern Europe by 2013 will also be complimented by a NATO-wide system to defend against short-and medium-range threats, de Hoop Scheffer said.
