Mystery trips: Biden to Prague, Clinton to Switzerland?

"Vice President Joseph Biden is expected to be sent to Prague and possibly Warsaw this month, to allay fraught nerves over the Obama administration's recently announced decision to not pursue the Bush administration's missile defense installations in those countries, an administration official told POLITICO Sunday. The OVP's office didn't immediately respond to a query about the unannounced trip.

Word that an Obama administration principal would be sent to Prague and possibly Warsaw on such a mission the week of October 16th has been circulating in recent days. One Washington national security hand apprised of the planned mission but not told which principal would be sent previously suggested that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton might be the Obama hand sent to East Europe, given chatter that Clinton seems to have a msterious day or two of slack in her planned itinerary to the UK, Ireland and Russia from October 9 to the 15th.

But Biden is the figure tapped for the East Europe mission, the official said. Clinton's mystery destination may be Switzerland, it was suggested, if progress is reached on a Turkey-Armenia resolution that has been worked behind the scenes.