Project Austerlitz

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AUSTERLITZ 2005 > Articles > NATO radar at Peace Monument?

Presidential bureau considers the radar positive and defends its construction

The response of major-general Picek, chief of the Military Bureau of the President of the Republic, to our letter to President Klaus from the early May haven't surprised us in the main - according to him the locality of Sokolnice (Sokolnitz) is the only suitable location, the Ministry of Defence acts in a correct way and it definetely is not a matter of an arbitrary rule. In the article you will find the full letter of major-general Picek. The military have somehow forgotten that since the days the locality for the old radars was chosen by the "experts of the Warsaw Pact who were not stupid at all" almost 50 years passed away and the technology somewhat advanced. It is no longer necessary to guard the Brno airport from "imperialists" what was then the main reason of the location of troops and radars there. The new radar would be much more efficient on the higher hill. However everything financed by NATO would have to be really constructed and payed, in this case though to account the large portion of costs will be enough. Those ones who make decision about it also remember the 'good old days' of the Warsaw Pact and they are not stupid at all... Similar battlefield (and especially the national monument) will not certainly come into existence anywhere in Europe because there is no army even in a post-communist country which would venture to do something like this. There is just one thing missing in the end of the letter: "Peace to the world" and with one unnamed former country forever!

Chief
of the Military Bureau of the President of the Republic


Prague, June 8th 2005


Dear Mr. Jandora,

on behalf of Mr. President, let me thank you for your letter regarding the construction of the radar in the area of the monumental preserved zone of the Austerlitz battlefield.

The construction of the radar is the basic condition of the radar coverage of the air space and is the first-class interest not only for the Czech Republic but for the NATO as well. Its loca-tion must match the difficult technical parameters and it is the matter of fact that the selected area in the locality of Sokolnice (Sokolnitz – transl. note) matches those requirements the best. From the same reason the radar station was built there already in 60’s of the last century.

The Military Bureau of the President of the Republic has thoroughly verified the progresses of the particular bodies of the Ministry of Defence in this matter and stated neither faults about them nor violations of the compulsory legal provisions. The decision about the construction works belongs to the relevant administrative bodies only. The President of the Republic has not any authority to interfere with the activities of ministries or other administrative bodies and thus cannot change or even cancel any of their decisions.

Finally let me assure you that the construction of the radar in this locality is not in any way the expression of disrespect to the history, victims of this important battle, and not even the ex-pression of the clerical arbitrary rule. On the contrary, it is the construction of the highest impor-tance to provide the security of the Czech Republic. Also it should contribute to prevent similar battlefields to come into existence in the European area forever.

Sincerely

Chief of the MBPR
Major-general Ing. Vlastimil PICEK

Team Austerlitz 2005 (10.06.2005 17:56)
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