Rice all but rules out Poland visit to finalize missile defense shield
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has all but ruled out a stop in Poland this week to finalize plans for a US missile defense shield in Europe.
Rice is signing a preliminary agreement with the Czech Republic on Tuesday for part of that planned system and had hoped to make the week's visit in Eastern Europe a clean sweep for the unproven anti-missile defense system.
Rice says she met Poland's foreign minister in Washington just before she left. That meeting was a negotiating session over Poland's request for millions of dollars in additional US military aid. Rice says she explained what the United States cannot do, and that the matter now rests with others for further discussion.