Is Poland a legitimate military target for Russia?

After Georgia, who is next?

Is it Ukraine or Moldova as the French foreign minister Kouchner suggested? But Mr. Kouchner has been immediately critisized as having "a sick imagination". I do not agree with the French foreign minister and believe his suggestion only reminds me that the EU will take advantage of the Russian operation as a pretext to advance its presence in Ukraine and Moldova and strengthen its ties with these two countries. Instead, I believe Poland will face a real Russian military attack.

Due to historical reasons, Poland has been very active in criticizing Russian military interventions in Georgia. Shortly after the commencement of the military conflict between Russia and Georgia, Poland has signed the agreement with the US on the construction of missile defense installations on Polish soil. Russia has been strongly opposed to such installations for years. The US has repeatedly reiterated that the missile defense installations are targeted at the rogue states, e.g. Iran, not at Russia. However, the Russians do not believe the American explanations. To them, such installations are a direct security security to Russia. Earlier this week, Russian president Medvedev has been reportedly to express a threat that Russia will use military means to eliminate such installations.

Viewed from the active critical Polish diplomatic stance towards Russia and the Russian political statement on the missile defense installations to be constructed on Polish soil, I believe the Russian military will not hesitate to execute an operation aiming to destroy such installations. If that happens, and I believe it will happen one day, Europe would face a far more dangerous crisis as, unlike Georgia, Poland is a NATO member. In that scenario, NATO would face for the first time the hard choice whether to collectively declare war against Russia since the Organisation is obliged to defend a member if it is attacked. If it does, then we would face a danger of another world war, again originating in Europe like the previous two world wars. Technically, how will NATO interprete a potential Russian military operation against such installations? Does NATO define it only as an military asset based on a bilateral agreement between Poland and US, thus not involving other European states, thus avoiding a trigger for a large scale war?

These are very hard questions. However, viewed from the circumstances, it is a real security problem for Europe and one begging attention from all Europeans.