Posted on 05/07/2007 11:10:36 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
The Bush administration has undertaken its most aggressive diplomatic offensive in six years in office. ...
The plan to put missile defenses in Poland and an ABM radar in the Czech Republic faces bitter opposition from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite that opposition, complete with Cold War rhetoric and threats to our European allies, Mr. Bush is engaged in a full-court press to make his plan a reality. ...
Moscow's objections go beyond keeping America out of Europe. Mr. Putin has consistently fought the expansion of NATO to former parts of the Soviet empire. He got the U.S. military kicked out of Uzbekistan and resents NATO's presence in Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. Awash in oil and gas money, Moscow is trying to re-establish control over Eastern Europe and Central Asia. ...
Just as support is developing in Europe, some members of the Democratic-controlled Congress want to reduce funding for the sites there. The Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee has cut the administration's $310 million request by more than half, to $150 million, which is the wrong message to send to our European allies. Subcommittee Chairwoman Ellen Tauscher, California Democrat, explained earlier that some members think more operational testing is needed.
This is the fallback position of missile defense opponents. They used to claim missile defense would not work, but successful tests have shown them wrong. So now they say more "operational testing" is needed, a view advanced by Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
This call for more testing before sites can be built or interceptors bought is a phony argument. The key hit-to-kill technology has been proven and a robust flight test program is planned. Conducting more tests than needed is a waste of money.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Pretty sad state of affairs when we have the communists and infitrating our own government. There was a time when that was a hanging offence.
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