Rumsfeld says missile defense shield to be ready by year's end

AFP ^ | Aug 18, 2004 | AFP

[RightWhale]

They are mostly in Alaska. California will have a smaller number. 20 is the number in the current construction contract.

[hedgetrimmer]

Here's an article from India times. So they are not being too secretive about it. They are planning 6 interceptors for Alaska, but given the threats China has made, they better put a couple in Portland and in LA.
***
US lowers first ground-based interceptor in silo at Fort Greely
Aug 18, 2004 08:06:00 AM

Washington, Aug 18 (PTI) United States has lowered the first ground-based interceptor into a silo at Fort Greely, Alaska, a location nicknamed as the first line in America's missile defence.

US President George W. Bush said that Boeing engineers had lowered a missile into a silo at Fort Greely where five more ground-based interceptors (GBI) would be deployed to protect threats from countries like North Korea.

"It's the beginning of a missile defense system that was envisioned by Ronald Reagan, a system necessary to protect us against the threats of the 21st century," Bush said in his address to engineers at defence contractor Boeing's unit in Pennsylvania.

"We want to continue to perfect this system, so we say to those tyrants who believe they can blackmail America and the free world: 'You fire, we're going to shoot it down'," he said.

An additional ten GBIs are scheduled to be added at Fort Greely by end of 2005.

The interceptors form a major part of the Ground Based Midcourse Defence system.

If all goes as planned, the GBIs by September-end, will be connected to a web of satellites and radars that will continously scan the globe for incoming threats.

In case an enemy missile is detected, the command and control center will relay its launch command, and the designated GBI will blast out of its silo to hit the target. PTI

***

[Southack]

Presidency of George W. Bush -- the first 44 months

 

President Bush signing a federal ban on Partial Birth Abortion

Banned Partial Birth Abortion

Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy

Stopped foreign aid that would be used to fund abortions.

Supported and upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals

Signed E.O. reversing Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act

Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty

Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court

Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California

Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules that would have shut down every home business in America

First Missile is Installed For NMD on July 23, 2004

Killed the U.S. - CCCP ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses

Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first ten ABM silos in Alaska and California so that America has a defense against North Korean nukes

President Bush pledged to Israel on 4/14/2004 that it could keep parts of the West Bank, giving international legitimacy to Jewish settlements there

Denied Palestinian refugees any right of return to what is now Israel, saying they should be resettled in a future Palestinian state instead

Part of coalition (Russia, Israel, EU, Palestine, USA) for Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace"

Pushed through THREE raises for our military

Increased Defense Dept funding which had deteriorated during the previous 8 years

President Bush's Grand Strategy (click here)

President Bush's Environmental Record - 2004 (click here)

Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit

Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers

Ordered Attorney-General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, NOT a leftist-imagined *collective* right

Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e. the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty)

Signed the 2004 Omnibus Budget 1/26/2004 that now MANDATES that gun buyers' background check information be fully and permanently destroyed within 24 hours of the completion of the check, no matter what.

Repealed Gun Controls Against Active, Retired, and Off-Duty Law Enforcement Personnel Carrying Weapons Into Local and State Prohibited Zones (7/28/2004)

Disarmed Libya of its Chemical, Nuclear, and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed

Won an agreement that U.S. Navy sailors may now freely board thousands of commercial ships in international waters to search for weapons of mass destruction under a landmark pact between the United States and Liberia, the world's No. 2 shipping registry (signed Feb 11, 2004), and Panama 5/10/2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/11/international/americas/11ship.html).

Successfully executed 2 wars: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom

 

Executed a WAR ON TERROR by getting world-wide cooperation to track funds/terrorists (has cut off much of the terrorist's funding and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network)

Bush Administration diplomacy led to the 5/25/2004 peace accord that ended a massive 20-year civil war between Sudan's Islamic north and Christian south after two million deaths Click Here

 

Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed

Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.

Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia

Initiated comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE was critical.
Created NATO's Rapid Response Force
Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the Presidency

Reorganized bureaucracy...after 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency: the Department of Homeland Security.

Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.

Improving govt. efficiency with .8 million jobs put up for bid...weakening unions and cutting undeserved pay raises. Wants merit based promotions/raises only.

Orchestrated Republican control of the White House, the House AND the Senate.

Killed the liberal ABA's role in vetting federal judges for Congress.

GWB signed an executive order enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision (re: union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes)

Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession.

Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.

Signed 2 income tax cuts ---- 1 of which was the largest Dollar-value tax cut in world history

Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains

In process of eliminating IRS marriage penalty.

Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people

Eliminated the Estate Tax (AKA "Death Tax") that was taking small farms and businesses from families

Signed into law the No Child Left Behind legislation delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations)

Reorganized the INS in an attempt to safeguard the borders and ports of America and to eliminate bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.

Signed trade promotion authority

Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men and women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa

Passed Medicare Reform (authorized $39.5 Billion per year for preventive medicine such as drugs and doctor visits as well as included a ten year Privatization option)

Urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits

Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims

Submitted comprehensive Energy Plan--awaits Congressional action (works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.)

Endorses and promotes The Responsibility Era ("In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else -- to one in which every single American understands that he or she are responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself. " -----this quote was too good to leave out)

Started the USA Freedom Corps

Initiated review of all federal agencies with a goal to eliminate federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of federal gov while increasing private sector jobs.

Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become The League of Nations ( in other words, completely irrelevant)

Nominated strong, conservative judges to the judiciary.

President Bush opened up an additional part of Alaska for domestic oil drilling. In 2004, the National Petroleum Reserve, an area west of the existing Prudhoe Bay field, was approved for new energy exploration and production.

Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary clean-up of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.

As part of the national forests clean-up, the President restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges) and removed the need for an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.
New Forest Rules Gives States Power Over Federal Forests Inside Their Borders
Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

President Bush signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal Aliens
S. 1685, the Basic Pilot Extension Act of 2003, was signed by President Bush on December 3, 2003.
It extends for five years the workplace employment eligibility authorization pilot programs created in 1996. It expands the pilot programs from the original five states to all 50 states.

U.S. Forces In Baghdad

[68skylark]

I like your skepticism. Even with an administration I generally support, it's wise to be skeptical of anything the government says. Back in Desert Storm, the much-vaunted Patriot missile didn't do nearly as well as first claimed. But by the time of the last Iraq war, it's clear that Patriots shot down 100% of the incoming ballistic missiles that threatened our folks. So while it's wise to be skeptical, I really think this technology is getting pretty good.

[68skylark]

That picture is sick but it's amazing. I haven't seen it before. It makes me even happier that Saddam is out of power. Thank goddness we don't have a president like Kerry -- Saddam would still be in control of Iraq.

[NonValueAdded]

"Those who oppose this ballistic missile system really don't understand the threats of the 21st century," Bush said. "They're living in the past. We're living in the future. We're going to do what's necessary to protect this country."

But in a sharply worded response, Kerry national security adviser Rand Beers derided Bush's "near obsession with missile defense," and said that "the greatest threat facing our homeland comes from terrorists."

Kerry, you stupid turd, don't you understand about development lead times? You have been trying to kill missile defense since before you became a senator. Meanwhile, North Korea is making great strides on their launch capacity and selling it to others. It won't help to flip flop later on and demand an instant deployment. It will be too little too late.

And the greatest threat comes from terrorists? Duh! Kerry, you nuanced arse! Don't you understand that NK's leader is within a hair of becoming the first nuclear terrorist and Iran is trying mightily for the silver medal? And Madeline Half-bright helped make this happen? Will you give her a place in your administration?

Kerry had better pray that there is never a federal initiative petition amendment because I would move heaven and earth for a law requiring any evacuation of congressional members voting against SDI and its follow-ons to deposit them in the projected impact area of any incoming missile. I have a feeling that the survivors will dump them on ground zero after the fact anyway.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Obviously we don't have a capability against hundreds of missiles

but by the end of Bush's second term?
IF we have a second term....

We mibht be able to have a virtually guaranteed ability to survive a first strike and obliterate ANY nation or location who was stupid enough to start something.

China would lose MUCH face.
Iran would not exist.
Neither would N. Korea.

[ProudVet77]

You have to consider that the airborne laser aircraft is well along and the first is being built. This is a primary defense layer as it could hit missiles on their way up. And the SDI missiles hit it at apogee or slightly after.
The USN is almost ready with the STD3 missile, which is a portable SDI missile.
Then we have the Arrow which could be a terminal phase interceptor.
And lastly my favorite, spaceborn weapons like brilliant pebbles or directed energy weapons in space.
This is the fiorst step and many of these technologies are coming on line in the near future.

[BobS]

There is a missile system in place right now that doesn't need to carry a payload of explosives. It hits right-on. Very accurate. They are just going public for PR purposes.

[perfect stranger]

[VaBthang4]

This is outstanding news.




...with that said. It seems kinda dumb to spend all that loot to defeat a nuclear/WMD tipped missile from hitting us if you're gonna let some uneducated Mexican truck driver park one in downtown DC.

[DoctorZIn]

This article has been posted to DoctorZin’s New News Blog!

[endthematrix]

Remember that killing enemy missiles are performed in a variety of ways. We usually think of land based rocket interceptors, but we are using lasers (THEL and airborne via 747) and hypersonic missiles from aircraft on station to hit 'em in the "boost phase". Our ships off coast will hit 'em before they arrive. We'll have low orbit space stations that will be able sensor and hit en above the enemy's territory.

[68skylark]

Cool picture -- thanks.