Posted on 02/26/2007 4:38:51 AM PST by Chi-townChief
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- U.S. plans to extend its ''star wars'' missile-defense program to Europe, which once dismissed the technology as unproven and unneeded, are gaining acceptance among governments here. Despite Russia's mounting opposition, the Czech Republic, Poland, and -- as of Friday -- Britain have all expressed serious interest in hosting parts of the shield. Other countries traditionally cool to the idea have been notably quiet. The trigger: concern about a nuclear Iran.
''This is all a result of Iran,'' says Tim Williams, a European security analyst. ''Governments see that Iranian missiles can hit Europe, and suddenly they are very worried about the threat from ballistic missiles.''
The U.S., which says that a European shield would intercept ballistic missiles fired from ''rogue states'' such as Iran, wants to build a radar station here in the Czech Republic and a corresponding base with 10 interceptor missiles in neighboring Poland. The U.S. last month approached the Czech and Polish governments about hosting the shield.
Bases in Alaska, California ''What we're seeing now is the product of near on seven years of diplomatic effort led by the Bush administration to get European governments to leave behind the cold-war version of missile defense,'' says Tom Karako, who heads a conservative think tank. Currently two bases -- one in Alaska, one in California, believed to host 13 and three missiles respectively -- make up the U.S. missile defense shield.
Detractors say the technology remains unproven. But President Bush has made missile defense a priority, earmarking $18.5 billion for it.
Christian Science Monitor
Cite:
''This is all a result of Iran,'' says Tim Williams, a European security analyst. ''Governments see that Iranian missiles can hit Europe, and suddenly they are very worried about the threat from ballistic missiles.''
Tststs...
as soon as it makes sense these lousy europeans think about counter measures - tough shit.
The legacy of Ronald Reagan, the greatest president since Washington, continues to influence history. Could Democrats, particularly Ted Kennedy, who conspired against Pres. Reagan with the Soviets, possibly have been more wrong? If our country had a shred of decency left, that fat subversive would be in a federal prison instead of elected for life by the brain-dead voters of MA.
This report cannot be true - I remember network news reports on organizations like "Royal Academy of Scientists" and "100 of the nation's top scientists", yada, yada yada saying that Reagan didn't know squat and that such a defensive device was an "impossibility". (It would be like hitting a bullet!)
ping
Can we get the Euroshield in place before Europe is overrun by the saracens and the system is no longer needed? Truly a race against time.
In 2001, shortly after he regained control of the Senate due to Jeffords' defection, Tom Daschle called a press conference and attempted to ridicule supporters of missile defense.
It was a wonderful moment, recorded for all history, which captured Daschle's obstructionist mindset perfectly.
Daschle worked so hard to make fun of the supporters of missile defense, that he made himself look like an idiot.
Transcript of Tom Daschle's 2001 press conference on a Missile Defense program
Whether or not we want to violate the ABM treaty
especially with a concept [NMD program] that we may not know
...or...
that we do know now does not work
is something that also mystifies me.
I mean
Every aspect of the debate and the consideration
that is given this whole program
is... is troubling to me.
I... I mean... I...there's a disconnect there.
I mean...It just seems common sense....
I mean...there's no brain..
This isn't rocket science here...
Yes it IS rocket science....
that's the problem..
Hadn't thought about that..
As I just think out loud ....
as I meander through here.
[Daschle laughs about 5 times: ...laugh...laugh...laugh...laugh...laugh]
That's the problem.
But . . . but . . . we have to act now, even if the theory is not completely proven, because the costs of not taking action are prohibitive if it's correct. And our grandchildren will accuse us. Right?
What? That only applies to global warming? My mistake. /s
Why aren't we listening?!? [/sob]
We lost 8 years of research on SDI during the Clinton carnival.
Their Islamic Caliphate had a good reputation when it came to writing checks and allowing travel, but it was the pits when it came to local control ~ so they were all the time killing each other with great abandon.
Well, well, well, let's have that poll on how much we hate the Americans now.
Oh ... and we'll be closing up all our permanent military bases as well so you can learn to get by without that little extra scratch as well.
(Poland and Hungary... you've stuck by us so we'll leaving our temporary "staging area" bases right where there are, and thanks for the support.)
I will never forget the hatchet job that the dorks at Scientific American (magazine) did on missile defense programs.
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