国际英语新闻：U.S. Patriot missiles to be deployed near Russian border: Polish DM

WARSAW, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Practical, not political reasons were taken into consideration when selecting Morag, a small town in north-eastern Poland about 100 km from the Russian border, as the base for Patriot missiles battery to be deployed in Poland by the U.S. army, Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich said Wednesday.

The Patriots, to be stationed in Poland on a rotation basis, will likely arrive at the turn of March, he added.

Morag was selected not because of its location near Russia's Kaliningrad district or for any political or strategic reason, only due to the existing military infrastructure, the minister was quoted as saying by the Polish news agency PAP.

"In Morag we could offer the best conditions for American soldiers and the best technical base for the equipment," Klich said.

Morag has been home to Polish military units for a long time, has extensive barracks and training grounds which require insignificant adjustments, he stressed.

The missiles are part of a system proposed by U.S. President Barack Obama in September last year that Washington says will counter Iran's ballistic missile program.

It replaces the more controversial Bush-era plan for a missile- defence shield, including 10 ground base interceptors to be installed in northern Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic.

Poland first asked for the Patriot unit after Russia condemned the missile shield plan as a threat to Russia.

Poland and the United States signed a Status of Forces Agreement(SOFA) last December laying out the conditions for the deployment of U.S. troops on Polish soil.

According to the SOFA, U.S. troops will service Patriot missiles that are to be integrated into Poland's national security system.

Some 100 U.S. soldiers will station in the base when and only when the missiles are deployed there.