BEIJING, June 19 -- Russia and the United States are currently involved in a fierce tussle over the U.S. plan to deploy a missile shield - "theater missile defense" (TMD) systems - in Eastern Europe. There has been talk of the return to a Cold War mentality.

    Early this year the U.S. proposed to Poland and the Czech Republic the resumption of negotiations over establishing TMD bases in their countries. Soon afterwards the Bush administration announced its plan to deploy 10 land-based long-range missile defense batteries in Poland and one medium-range radar facility in the Czech Republic by 2010.

    Russia's immediate response was fury, accusing the United States of threatening Russian security. The dispute has been heating up with Russia resorting to retaliatory measures, causing bilateral ties to approach the freezing point.

    On the U.S. side, from President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates down to all departments concerned, the Washington spin mechanism scrambled into damage control with multiple versions of the same explanation, which basically says:

    First, the United States plan to deploy TMD systems in Eastern Europe is primarily intended to intercept possible missile attacks from Iran, and the United States has to be prepared though Iran is not currently capable of such attacks. The United States also believes Iranian missiles will pose a real threat to Europe around the year 2015 and it cannot slow down the process of TMD deployment in Eastern Europe.

    Second, the decision to allow U.S. TMD systems is Poland's and the Czech Republic's own. In fact, news reports have said more than half the public in these countries opposes the TMD deployment plan and Polish Defense Minister Aleksander Szczyglo promised his country would reject the deal if the U.S. terms are found unacceptable.

    The United States hopes to cooperate with the Czech Republic, Poland and Britain in a bid to link the TMD systems in the two East European nations with those of NATO to protect the entire Western military alliance.

    Third, the plan is not aimed at Russia but will actually help protect Russia's western region. The number of TMD missiles the United States plans to deploy in Eastern Europe is too small to counter Russia's huge arsenal. In terms of speed and number, the TMD systems can only track a tiny portion of the incoming Russian missiles even if radar does detect them. Official missile test results published by Moscow showed U.S. missile defense can't stop a Russian attack, which also indicates the U.S. missile defense systems would not be aimed at Russia.