US may attack Iran from Romania

NATO can get to choose Romania as host for the main operational base of the strategic transport fleet of the North Atlantic Alliance. It seems the US suggested such a decision should be made, so that the US would also be a beneficiary of strategic transport means on Pentagon's advanced operational base (Forward Operating Site) in Mihail Kogalniceanu base, Romania.
Marshall Billlingslea, a deputy of the NATO general secretary for defense investments, launched this multinational initiative of the air transport capacity (C-17). It consists in the idea that several nations should join each other to rent or buy a certain number of C-17 aircrafts (produced by Boeing in the US). The NATO military committee evaluated the idea of buying 8 such aircrafts operated by NATO as an operation request for the strategic air transport.
When the letter of intent was written, the Ramstein air base in Germany was estimated to become the main operation base. Ramstein belongs to the US Air Force Europe due to the facilities that already exist. According to NATO military experts, more investments will be needed to enlarge capacity, just as there will be needed research on the environment concerning the access of large capacity planes. Hungary forwarded an offer too, pleading that the air base in Papa would be an excellent location, but only if the main operational base was in Hungary. The US experts weren't really pleased with the idea and they suggested that Romanian authorities should proceed to a bilateral analysis of the idea to make an offer to house the main operational base for the NATO strategic transport fleet. The Pentagon representatives opined that Mihail Kogalniceanu International Airport would be the best location.
Romania agrees to Pentagon's requests
Given the suggestion from the US, the Romanian Ministry of Defense gave the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) a report on the means to provide the air transport capacity the Romanian Military needs in 2006-2013. In September 11, 2007, the Romanian government members passed a government decision to agree that the Romanian Ministry of Defense would participate in the NATO Organization of Air Transport Management and make the Mihai Kogalniceanu Airport available as a main operational base for the strategic air transport. According to military officials, it will meet national needs as well as the needs of NATO, EU or UN missions.
In their intention to prove that the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airport would be the best location for C-17 aircrafts of strategic transport, the Romanian Ministry of Defense is going to arrange a reunion on the initiative. Ministry representatives want to show the foreign delegations to attend the event the facilities available in Romania and the advantages of a choice such the above-mentioned airport. (...)
It is to be reminded that Teheran authorities announced officially that they could attack targets at 2,000 km away. Romania could be one of them. (...)
Romanian locations have turned into possible targets not only for Iran, but also for the Russian Federation. General Vladimir Samanov, an adviser of the Russian defense minister, stated that Russia had no intention to participate in moves together with Romania and Bulgaria, but that the country would head its missiles towards the US bases in both states. But the thing is that the US anti missile shield won't protect all the NATO states. According to the NATO general secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the southeastern side - Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey - will be uncovered.

Doru Dragomir & Marius Batca
Ziua Vineri 28 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english