(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The proportion of people who support participating in a defence project with the United States has increased in the Czech Republic, according to a poll by Factum Invenio published in Mlada fronta Dnes. 38 per cent of respondents agree with the U.S. installing part of its defence capabilities on Czech soil, up 13 points since October 2007.

Conversely, 55 per cent of respondents now disagree with participating in the plan, down from 68 per cent last year.

In December 2002, U.S. president George W. Bush announced plans for the development of initial defence capabilities, which include ground-based and sea-based missile interceptors, as well as sensors located in space. Washington has explained the project as a means to defend the U.S. and its European allies from a potential attack by Iran or North Korea.

In January 2007, the U.S. issued a formal request to place a radar base in the Czech Republic—in a military area southwest of Prague—as well as 10 interceptor missiles in Poland. The deal on the radar installation has yet to be ratified by Czech legislators.

The Czech Republic—a member of both the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)—is currently negotiating with the U.S. the construction of the radar base. Some EU officials have asked the Czech Republic to include the continental group in these discussions, but the government of Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek has so far declined to do so.

Some countries doubt that Iran could actually represent a danger for the U.S. and its allies in Europe and fear the missile defence shield could eventually become a threat to other nations instead—including Russia.

The Czech government has said it will submit the plan to build the radar to Parliament after regional elections on Oct. 17 and 18, and is expecting a final vote by the end of the year.

On Sept, 25, the Czech counter-intelligence service (BIS) released a report, which stated: "The intelligence services of the Russian Federation have attempted in the past year to contact, infiltrate and influence people and organizations that have influence on public opinion [related to the anti-missile project.]"

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with the United States stationing a missile defence base in the Czech Republic?

Source: Factum Invenio / Mlada fronta Dnes
Methodology: Interviews with 1,066 Czech adults, conducted in September 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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