Reading between the lines

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's military chief told the Czech Republic it would be making a "big mistake" to host a U.S. missile defense shield on its soil and urged Prague on Tuesday to delay a decision until a new U.S. president is elected.

The Czech Republic is discussing hosting a radar station which would form part of the U.S. missile shield -- a system designed to intercept and destroy missiles from "rogues states" but which Moscow sees as a threat to its security.

"We say it will be a big mistake by the Czech government to put this radar site on Czech territory," said Yuri Baluyevsky, the Russian military chief of staff, after meeting the Czech deputy defense minister, Martin Bartak.

He said the Czech Republic should hold off making a decision until after the U.S. presidential election, scheduled to take place in late 2008. Incumbent George W. Bush will not be running.

"A decision will be made by the Czech side only after the evaluation of all conditions, technical and otherwise," said Baluyevsky.

"I and my Russian colleagues simply ask that that process continue through to October-November of 2008, and I think you can all guess why."

Asked by a reporter to clarify, he said: "I do not exclude that a new administration in the United States will re-evaluate the current administration's decisions on missile defense."

Translation: If the Czech Republic lets Bush build a component of his ABM system on their soil Russia will be very pissed. If a Democrat is elected in 2008 they will fall all over themselves making sure that America is left defenseless against any kind of ballistic missile attack and will run all over the world getting down on their knees and blowing every thug dictator they can find, as long as he is anti American.

If all this happens the Czech Republic will find itself twisting in the breeze, looking down the barrel of a T-80 with no Uncle Sam to back them up.