embassy events 2007 

Poznan Students Engage U.S. Officials in Missile Defense 

31 October 2007

Students engage DCM Kenneth Hillas and Peter Brookes in a debate on missile defense

Students at the Institute of Political Science and Journalism of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan discussed missile defense with U.S. officials on October 30, 2007.  Peter Brookes, a Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Defense, and Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Kenneth Hillas spoke about the current missile defense proposal for Europe that includes basing 10 silo-based long-range missile interceptors in Poland. 

Brookes and Hillas answered questions from a panel of graduate students on missile defense as it relates to U.S. obligations under current non-proliferation treaties, the role of Russia in overall negotiations, and Poland’s plan for a complex air defense system.  They also gave interviews to the local Poznan television stations of TVP and TVN24, Mercury radio, and the local newspapers “The Voice of Wielkipolski Region” and “Echo.”  At a private dinner with members of parliament, foreign policy experts, and local government officials Brookes and Hillas discussed security issues related to missile defense negotiations and the F-16 program.