Posted on 10/02/2009 12:24:00 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
(10-01) 21:19 PDT Washington --
Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher today defended President Obama's new plan for missile defenses in Europe, saying it provides more protection to the United States and its allies from potential Iranian attacks and does not abandon previous security commitments in the region.
Tauscher, a former seven-term Democratic member of the House from Walnut Creek, told the House Armed Services Committee that Obama's plan is better adapted to the current state of the Iranian threat.
New intelligence shows that Iran is developing short- and medium-range missiles faster than expected and long-range, intercontinental ballistic missiles more slowly, said Tauscher, who heads the State Department's arms control division.
Earlier this week, Iran tested missiles capable of striking Israel and other U.S. allies in the Middle East. Opponents of the Obama plan contend that it leaves the United States and allied countries vulnerable by not providing protection from intermediate-range ballistic missiles until 2018 or intercontinental ballistic missiles until 2020.
Testimony and evidence provided to the committee earlier this year revealed that Iran could have these weapons by 2015,....
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I think you had posted on this topic.
Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), the committee’s senior Republican called the new plan “abrupt and sloppy.”
I’m sure Hillary was busy....
Tauscher used to be my congresscritter. This woman has a background in the stock market. She has no background in military matters. She thinks she does because the Livermore National Laboratory was in her district.
If she is driving this policy we are in big trouble.
The list, ping
Missile defense is layered and both land and sea based. What the administration and their spin agents are engaging in is a diversion. As they “cut” on missile defense they refocus public attention on another phase and subsystem of this larger program, selling it as some new great revolutionary idea and improvement. SM3, Interceptor, as well as Patriot PAC3/MEADS and THAADs all comprise this larger program and all Obama did was kill the European Interceptor system and sell the idea that the SM3 is some new idea and a substitute. It's not. There is not new idea and SM3 is no substitute for Interceptor, it's simply a sales pitch for a defense cut that isn't supposed to look like one.
It's simply rerouting money at the expense of defense.
This is the reality of Obama’s plan:
MDA Total (2008)$8.79B (2009)$8.99 (2010)7.8B
http://www.mda.mil/mdalink/pdf/budgetfy10.pdf
Thanks.
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