KSCM Launches Campaign against U.S. Anti-Missile Base in the Czech Republic

The Communists (KSCM) have launched a campaign against the possible stationing of an U.S. anti-missile base on Czech territory, KSCM spokeswoman Monika Horeni told reporters.

The petition against the U.S. military base has been so far signed by some 5,000 people. KSCM representatives will deliver the first petition sheets with signatures to the Chamber of Deputies on Friday.

The Communists want to use traditional summer nationwide events where people will have chance to sign the petition and discuss the issue with KSCM politicians. Within the campaign, the KSCM has also issued leaflets and postcards addressed to constitutional officials.

"The KSCM will support all events against military bases no matter who organises them," Horeni said.

In their petition, the Communists also demand that information on the current course of negotiations with the USA on stationing of its anti-missile base in the Czech Republic be released in public.

The KSCM also wants the Chamber of Deputies to reject similar projects.

The KSCM is now considering staging a protest meeting in the military training grounds Libava, north Moravia, Brdy, Central Bohemia, and Boletice, South Bohemia, which have been taken into consideration as suitable localities for the base. U.S. military experts visited the areas in July.

Prima TV reported that the U.S. experts found Libava the jost suitable locality.

The team of U.S. experts has also searched localities in Poland, while Hungary is allegedly definitely out of question.

Washington has addressed the Czech Republic and other Central European countries over "the anti-missile umbrella" as the U.S. equipment in North America is not sufficient. The base in Central Europe should therefore play a strategically important role.

Unlike the old Soviet bases in the then Czechoslovakia, the U.S. anti-missile site would be invisible as its silo with probably one missile only would be hidden dozens of metres under ground, experts say.

However, apart from economic and strategic benefits, the anti-missile site could draw terrorists’ attention to the Czech Republic.

A recent poll has also shown that jost Czechs are against stationing of a U.S. anti-missile base on the Czech territory. Out of the parties in the Parliament, only the right-wing Civic Democrats (ODS) clearly support the idea.