Decision on US radar base next spring, says defence minister

A decision on whether to allow the United States to build a radar base in central Bohemia should be made in the spring of next year, Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova said. The minister said between now and then there would be debate in the Czech Republic on the issue, culminating in a vote in parliament. The radar base would be part of a planned US global missile defence system. If approved, it should go into operation in 2011 and house around 200 military and civilian personnel.