U.S. says undecided on Eastern Europe missile plan

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration said on Tuesday it was undecided about a Bush-era plan to put U.S. missile defenses in Eastern Europe, which has been fiercely opposed by Russia and strained bilateral ties.

"No final decisions have been made regarding missile defense in Europe," Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Lynn described a plan initiated by former President George W. Bush to install 10 two-stage interceptor missiles in Poland plus a related radar station in the Czech Republic as only "one option" under review.

He said Washington also was exploring expanded missile-defense cooperation with Russia as a possible means of countering a perceived threat from Iranian ballistic missiles.

"The United States will work to identify new areas where our two countries could advance our missile defense cooperation," Lynn said. "For example, there are Russian radars near Iran that would provide helpful early warning detection in the case of an Iranian ballistic missile launch."

The possible use of these radar stations -- in southern Russia and Azerbaijan, one of them only about 60 miles from Iran -- would be discussed when President Barack Obama travels to Moscow from July 6 to 8, Lynn said.

Obama hopes to build on calls from both capitals to "reset" ties strained over the proposed expansion of U.S. missile defense close to Russia's borders among other things.

Moscow, smarting from the entry of several former Warsaw Pact allies into NATO, says the plans are a threat to Russian security.