Stakes High on Missile Defense
David K. Rehbein, a national commander of the American Legion, wrote an article for the Business Wire on the state of missile defense. Even among those who believe strong missile defense is no longer needed, North Korea’s defiance has proven otherwise. The rogue state may not have the capability to launch a nuclear weapon now, but it is determined to improve the technology required to do so.
“Defense Secretary Robert Gates takes the threat seriously enough to have positioned a military ground-based missile defense system to protect Hawaii from missile attack, Rehbein writes. “While The American Legion applauds this decision, the nation’s largest veterans service organization is concerned that the United States is not doing enough to protect us from, well, nuclear annihilation.”
Although nuclear threats loom over us, the Obama administration intends to cut $1.62 billion from the missile defense budget. As we’ve noted before, the administration’s cuts impact Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Interceptors, which would be reduced from 44 to 30.
“The Heritage Foundation has produced a chilling documentary titled ‘33 Minutes: Protecting America in the New Missile Age.’ A trailer of the film can be viewed at www.legion.org. It makes the sobering point that a ballistic missile fired at the United States could reach its target in 33 minutes or less. It is a moral imperative that our leaders in Washington protect America from this catastrophic possibility.”
Watch the trailer of the high-definition documentary:
Tags: 33 Minutes: Protecting America in the New Missile Age, David K. Rehbein, Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Interceptors, North Korea, Robert Gates