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| US and Czechs sign defence deal | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has signed a deal to base part of Washington's controversial missile defence system in the Czech Republic. | |
| The treaty, signed in Prague, paves the way for a tracking radar system to be set up near the city. | |
| A second deal covering the status of US soldiers there has not been agreed. | A second deal covering the status of US soldiers there has not been agreed. |
| The plans remain unpopular in the Czech republic, and the US has also failed to reach agreement with Poland on housing other parts of the system there. | The plans remain unpopular in the Czech republic, and the US has also failed to reach agreement with Poland on housing other parts of the system there. |
| Ms Rice said that she had earlier held constructive talks with Poland's foreign minister, but declined to predict whether the US and Poland would reach an agreement. | Ms Rice said that she had earlier held constructive talks with Poland's foreign minister, but declined to predict whether the US and Poland would reach an agreement. |
| "We have told them what we can do... There are still some issues, so I can't say for certain what the trajectory is, but it was a constructive meeting," she said after talks on Monday with Radek Sikorski in Washington. | "We have told them what we can do... There are still some issues, so I can't say for certain what the trajectory is, but it was a constructive meeting," she said after talks on Monday with Radek Sikorski in Washington. |
| Russian objections | Russian objections |
| The missile defence system would include the tracking radar system in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland. The US wants the sites to be in operation by about 2012. | The missile defence system would include the tracking radar system in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland. The US wants the sites to be in operation by about 2012. |
| Russia is strongly against the plan, saying it would pose a threat to its own security. Moscow has threatened to aim its own missiles at any eventual base in Poland or the Czech Republic. | Russia is strongly against the plan, saying it would pose a threat to its own security. Moscow has threatened to aim its own missiles at any eventual base in Poland or the Czech Republic. |
| Czech opposition parties have strongly criticised the plan and are calling for a national referendum. | Czech opposition parties have strongly criticised the plan and are calling for a national referendum. |
| The plans would have to be approved by the Czech Parliament, where the government would need the votes of the opposition parties to get them through. | The plans would have to be approved by the Czech Parliament, where the government would need the votes of the opposition parties to get them through. |
| Jan Majicek, of the No Bases Initiative, said that more than 100,000 people had signed a petition against the Czech base. | Jan Majicek, of the No Bases Initiative, said that more than 100,000 people had signed a petition against the Czech base. |