Obama Talks Missile Defense with Russia

clipped from news.yahoo.com President Barack Obama said Tuesday he has told Russia that reducing Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon would in turn lessen the need for a U.S.-planned missile defense system in Eastern Europe that Moscow has opposed. But Obama said he sought no "quid pro quo" with Moscow. The new president also said it is time for the U.S. to "reset or reboot" its relationship with Russia, a nod to the increasingly tense relations of recent years. He said lessening Iran's commitment to nuclear weapons "reduces the pressure for, or the need for, a missile defense system." But that, he said, does not diminish his own commitment to ensure that Poland, the Czech Republic or other NATO members enjoy full U.S. support with respect to their security.

Not long ago, I wondered if Obama would scrap missile defense as a budget cutting measure. It's ineffective, it's expensive, and it's not extremely helpful in international relations.

I didn't foresee it being used as a diplomatic bargaining chip. It'd be nice to see Obama get two birds with one stone, but if Russia doesn't bite, he should scrap this pricey -- but useless -- boondoggle anyway.