US News
Pentagon undeterred by cuts in European missile defence
Nov 10, 2007, 0:08 GMT
Washington - The Pentagon was optimistic that it can proceed with plans to deploy a missile-defence system to Eastern Europe despite Congress' vote to slash 85 million dollars in funding, a spokesman said Friday.
Congress passed a 470-billion-dollar defence budget Thursday that included 225 million dollars to begin work on 10 missile interceptors to be installed in Poland and a radar, which will go the Czech Republic.
But lawmakers stripped the funds for beginning construction on the interceptor site in Poland, though they allowed the Pentagon to ask for the money to be restored once formal agreements are reached with the two counties to deploy the system.
'We should be able to meet our timetables,' said Rick Lehner, a spokesman for the Pentagon's Missile Defence Agency. 'The first order of business is getting agreements with the Czech and Polish governments.'
The US plans to install the system in the former Warsaw Pact countries has sparked a major diplomatic rift with Russia, which has threatened to take the sites into account in the targeting of its nuclear missile fleet.
The United States wants to deploy the system to counter Iran's growing ballistic missile capability and says the system is too small to deter Russia's strategic nuclear fleet.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
There is no need for any missiles in Europe at all,the only possible reason is just to please some weapon merchants that developed this new missile system and are now in dire need to sell it to your government.There is no such thing as an iranian ballistic missile ,no nukes ,no threat from Iran,so no need for all these costly missiles either,plain and simple.
No money for new destabilization of the world?
No problem, because that's where the $1 trillion fudge-fund comes in, which the Pentagon had long established due to Rumsfeld's foresight. The $1 trillion was found to be unaccounted for by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) -- the money had allegedly dissipated into thin air when it first came to light.
But then: the Unscrupulous States of America aren't a real democracy anyway, with real checks and balances -- what Americans have is just for show and to impress the weak minded such as SP4 and keep the dummies 'patriotic'.
LMAO
Tonny's not REALLY against missile defense...he justs wants to wait until AFTER we're threatened.
Flower children's offspring....worse than the original!
If you just wait for the first attack, the defence companies will make FAR more on each missile sold!
One other thing about missiles: Their deterrence value only exists if they are there BEFORE an attack!
You also have the comfort of knowing millions of innocent victims will not be killed if there is an attack.(that would be from the retaliation too!)
No, Tonny, I'll take the ounce of prevention, not the pound of cure.
It is getting funnier by the day:
''One other thing about missiles: Their deterrence value only exists if they are there BEFORE an attack!''
The deterrence value of missiles exists ONLY, if said missiles work. The US Army has not been able to prove that, because the Army-rigged missile tests were even condemned in the U.S. Senate.
Since there is no proof that said missiles even ''work'', the radar site in in the Czech republic will function as a huge U.S.-spy complex, monitoring all frequencies used around Central Europe and, very likely, Russia.
Are we Europeans mad?
page: 1
SP4: Great....Nov 10th, 2007 - 01:50:22
...knock yourselves out guys...
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