Entangling Alliances, Redux

"The Czech Republic said on Tuesday it would not be intimidated by Russia over plans to site parts of a U.S. missile defense system on its territory and said attempts at ?blackmail? by Moscow would backfire. Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said threats by Russian officials over the plans, which would involve placing a radar system on Czech land and a missile battery in Poland , would only make Czechs more determined to defend themselves. Russia 's strategic forces commander, General Nikolai Solovtsov, said on Monday that Russia would be capable of firing missiles at the Czech Republic and Poland if the ex-communist states agreed to host the U.S. defense system." Hmm, weren't all these ?mutual defense? treaties between state entities supposed to prevent tension and war?