Kulakowski Discusses Missile Defense System with American Studies Center Students in Warsaw

Public Affairs Officer Edward Kulakowski speaking on Missile Defense in American Studies Center

On November 26 and December 2, 2007, Counselor for Press and Cultural Affairs Edward Kulakowski delivered presentations on proposed missile defense systems in Europe to American Studies Center students. Referring to promising past and current relations between the United States and Poland, Edward Kulakowski spoke not only on missile defense but the visa waiver program, F-16/offset, U.S. policy towards Iraq and Afghanistan, and U.S.-Polish educational exchanges. Kulakowski outlined technical intricacies of the proposed interceptors and radar showing students the effectiveness of missile defense against short and long range attacks. He made the students realize why it is important that the system is placed in Poland by underscoring the U.S. and Polish government negotiations about a missile defense agreement for Poland and political, economic, and defense benefits that the country can gain from that. He also talked about the missile defense in the context of how it can impact U.S.-Russia relations, presented benefits of the system as a protective shield against ballistic threat from the Middle East, and discussed NATO’s approach and U.S. cooperation with NATO for that matter.

American Studies Center students at the Missile Defense presentation

Dr Tomasz Basiuk, Director of American Studies Center, Prof. David Jones, Public Affairs Officer Edward Kulakowski