Rice labels missile threat ‘extremely unfortunate’

SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday called a Russian general’s warning that Poland and the Czech Republic risk being targeted if they host US missile defence bases ‘‘extremely unfortunate’’.

Gen Nikolai Solovtsov, head of Russia’s strategic missile forces, said Russia might train its missiles on the two countries if they accept a US proposal to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic.

‘‘I think that was an extremely unfortunate comment,’’ Rice said at a news conference in Berlin, adding that the system did not threaten Moscow’s forces ‘‘and we have had the opportunity to explain that to Russia’’.

She said the US has made clear to Russia that the system would be to counter any missile threat from Iran. The system is too small to stop Russia’s large nuclear arsenal, she said.

‘‘Anyone who knows anything about this knows that there is no way that 10 interceptors are a threat to Russia,’ Rice said.

‘‘I think everyone understands that with a growing Iranian missile threat, which is quite pronounced, that there need to be ways to deal with that problem,’’ she added.

The missile dispute is chilling relations between Moscow and Washington already damaged by differences over NATO’s eastward expansion and US concerns over human rights in Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow sees the establishment of the missile defence sites as a signal that the United States wants to gain nuclear superiority over Russia. He dismissed US claims that it was to counter Iranian threats.