In Azerbaijan, U.S. military officials toured a radar site Tuesday that Russia has proposed as an alternative to the Bush administration’s plan for a so-called missile defense shield in Europe.

Army Brigadier General Patrick O’Reilly: “Again, today, with the parameters we’ve learned, we have to go back and do that analysis and answer that very question, but we just can’t do it right on site. These are, again, complex radars. The systems are complex. We’ve proven that.”

The trip is expected to have little effect on U.S. plans. The White House has already dismissed Azerbaijan as an alternative site. The U.S. wants to base the missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic despite majority public opposition in both countries.