OBAMA FUMBLES MISSILE DEFENSE TO THE RUSSIANS

The Obama Administrations recent abandonment of the Ground-based Mid-course Defense system in Europe and to instead concentrate on medium-range missiles, such as THAAD, PAC 3, and the sea-based Aegis system is short sited and dangerous. The Ground-based Mid-course Defense (GMD) system has had many successful tests and when integrated with the sea-based X-Band radar can differentiate between warheads and decoys. The short/medium range systems (THAAD, PAC 3, Aegis) should be deployed in theater along with the GMD system to supplement and form a global and layered defense.

The Obama Administration states new information has led them to believe that only short and medium range missiles are a threat from the Persian Nazis at this time. At this very moment that may be true but we need to concentrate on the very near future because Iran continues to forge ahead with long range missile development. The current Shabah-3 missile under development and testing in Iran has an estimated range of 900-1200 miles and if accurate, could target some Western European countries and Israel.

If Iran ever masters solid fuel rocket technology rather than just liquid fuel, their missile range and payload would greatly expand to include long range nuclear ICBM's. The Shabah 3 has been developed over the last ten years and owes it's design to the North Koreans No-Dong missile that was exported to Iran and Pakistan. It may or may not take the Iranians another 10 years to develop long range missiles that can hit the United States mounted with a nuclear warhead.

While Obama cuts America's missile defense budget by $1.4 billion, or 15 percent, for fiscal 2010, the Iranians are on the threshold of producing nuclear warheads. Instead of liquidating our Ground Based mid-course defense system, we need to continue testing and fund development of the system to protect America from ALL nuclear armed countries that may threaten us.

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