The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Warsaw

Poland spurned as insufficient on Friday a U.S. offer to boost its air defenses in return for basing anti-missile interceptors on its soil but said it remained open to talks with Washington.

The decision by Poland, a staunch NATO ally, is a setback for the Bush administration drive to counter perceived threats from what Washington calls "rogue states," particularly Iran.

"We have not reached a satisfactory result on the issue of increasing the level of Polish security," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a news conference after studying the latest U.S. proposal.

The aim of the negotiations, in my view, is to enhance the security of our country.

We still agree that it is fundamental for us to maintain our alignment with the United States, which has been, is and will continue to be our strategic ally." In Washington, the State Department said it was studying Tusk's remarks closely.