Now that the President has abandoned the third missile defense site which was slated to be built in Poland, the question remains: what will be done with the money which was allocated in the FY 2009 defense budget for the system? Surely the funds should be used to boost the Ground-based interceptors which are already under-funded.
To be voted on as early as today, the bi-partisan Lieberman-Sessions amendment moves to allocate between $50 million and $151 million to be used for research, development and testing of the 2-stage ground based interceptor (GBI). This interceptor is needed to comply with the Administration’s intent to continue the development of the SM-3 Block IIA and IIB missile, which are the ones intended to replace the GBI in Europe. This amendment has come not a moment too soon.
The Iranians are making substantial progress in their own nuclear program. On May 20, Iran successfully test-fired the Sajjil 2 solid-fuel missile, which has a 1,200-1,500 mile range, putting Israel within Tehran’s reach. Israel’s Space Research Center also reports that Iran intends to accelerate its production of even longer-range ballistic missiles in the near future. And in April, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center stated that Iran could develop a missile capable of reaching the U.S. as early as 2015.
The Lieberman-Sessions Amendment shows that defending Americans isn’t a partisan issue- just an important one.
Even though it is obvious that the Administration is looking toward a nuclear free world, they have to admit that we aren’t there yet.
I remember the movies about the Wild-Wild West when "the survival of the fittest" was the man or woman who not only wore a side arm—but was the fastest on the draw!!! a "Johny come lately" never made it to "The O-K Corral"
to see if he lived or died in the fastest gun-draw battle of the West. MUCH THE SAME SCENE TODAY ACROSS THE CONTINENT… CAN THE WEST OUT DRAW THE EAST—WHO HAS THE BEST MISSLE AND
ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEM??While Our Socialist-pRESIDENT IS OUT IN THE BACK YARD OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRACTICING HIS DRAW AND SPINNING THE ONE SHELL CHAMBER AROUND FOR HIS 36 un-fetted CZARS TO observe, THE "Little Fast Draw McGaw" Iranian Prez is lining up ISRAEL in his gun sights. Meanwhile,back at the saloon, Pelosi and Hare-LIp Reid are betting on Obama to be the fastest gun in the Wild Wild West. Mean time, I hope no body in Russia "flicks their bick" !!! the ole' man