Rice, Polish counterpart sign missile defense deal

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski signed a deal Wednesday that will put an American missile defense base in Poland, a move that has angered a resurgent Russia. The formal signing came six days after the two countries agreed to a deal that will see 10 US interceptor missiles placed just 180 kilometers from Russia's westernmost frontier. The deal has sparked threats from Russia that Poland is making itself vulnerable to attack - even a nuclear one. The deal, and Russia's rhetoric, have further strained Moscow's ties with the West in the wake of its fighting with US ally Georgia.