First Phase Of New Missile Defense Plan Could Take Place By 2011

By Ravi Bhatia-Talk Radio News Service

The first phase of the Eastern Europe new missile defense strategy proposed by the Obama administration could be executed by 2011, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Fluornoy said during her testimony before the House Armed Services Committee Thursday.

According to Fluornoy, the former plan proposed by the Bush administration would not have been implemented until at least 2017.

The congressional members of HASC and Dept. of Defense officials also discussed the technical aspects and international repercussions of President Obama’s new plan for missile defense.

“The intelligence community now assesses that the threat from Iran’s short and medium-range ballistic missiles is developing more rapidly than previously projected, while the threat of potential Iranian Intercontinental Ballistic Missile capabilities has been slower to develop,” Fluornoy said in a released statement. “[This means that] the primary threat posed by Iranian missiles will be to U.S allies, our 80,000 deployed forces in the Middle East and Europe, and our civilian personnel.”

The new plan eliminates the Bush administration’s missile defense system, which would have deployed a radar system in the Czech Republic or 10, 20-ton Ground Based Interceptors in Poland in order to deter as many as ten long-range missiles. The new approach relies on a distributed network of sensors and one-ton SM-3 interceptors, which are 20 times lighter then the GBIs employed by the former plan but are not restricted to land-based launches.

HASC Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Miss), and other members of HASC, noted that the Obama administration’s plan was not entirely due to the administration's efforts, and that the plan stemmed from bipartisan Congressional action in 2006.

“In 2006, the National Defense Authorization Act established a policy of the United States to accord priority to developing, testing, and fielding near-term effective missile defense systems,” he said. “In our bill two years ago, we made it the policy of the United States to develop, test, and deploy effective missile defenses for our forward-based forces, our allies, and our homeland against the threat posed by Iran’s existing and potential ballistic missiles.”

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Ca.), Ranking Member of the HASC, discussed some of the issues that some Republicans have with the defense plan, particularly in light of Iran publicly testing their long-range missile capabilities last week.

“I’m skeptical,” he said. “There seems to be this certainty within the administration that the Iranians can't develop an IRBM or an ICBM by 2015, and that these aren’t real threats to be worried about. Does this certainty consider foreign assistance? Does this certainty account for uncertainty? Intelligence is a risky business. Friday’s revelation that Iran is building a covert uranium facility is a case in point.”

Veterans Attribute Health Issues To Burning Waste

By: Courtney Costello- Talk Radio News Service

The House has proposed new legislation that would close improperly facilitated burn pits used by U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. The legislation would also mandate health screenings for veterans who were exposed to toxins released from the pits, which are large ditches used to dispose of garbage and waste.

The Military Personnel War Zone Toxic Exposure Prevention Act would require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical surveillance system that would pinpoint troops that have been exposed to hazardous chemicals burned in the pits. The act would also prohibit the military from discarding waste that omits dangerous levels of toxins.

“We believe it is premature to dismiss concern raised about burn pits after only a few years. Our country’s difficult experiences with agent orange and Gulf War illness taught us we must be vigilant in monitoring and treating our veterans long after they have returned from the battlefield,” said Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.).

 Despite the fact that the military has purchased incinerators, the burn pits have become an indefinite solution to get rid of waste.
 
“[The burn pits are producing] 250 tons of waste everyday. Some of our troops are working directly inside of these pits with no protection,” said Kerry Baker, the Assistant National Legislative Director of the Disabled American Veterans.

Medical concerns that have been raised include chronic bronchitis, asthma, sleep apnea, allergy-like symptoms, lung problems and lymphoma.

“Where all of the trash from the base and from the base hospital was burned just over the wall...we lived under a cloud of smoke from that continuous fire, and everyone was affected on some level,” said Tom Tarantino, an Iraq War veteran and a policy associate for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

According to Rep. Bishop, the Department of Defense currently maintains that there are no long term health issues related to troops being exposed to burn pits.

Rep. Franks: Iran, North Korea Threats Must Be Addressed

By Celia Canon - Talk Radio News Service

The U.S is not doing enough to counter the terrorist threat that Iran and North Korea raise, according to Republican Congressman Trent Franks (Ariz.).

“The jihadist mindset would like to see a nuclear blast in the U.S.,” Franks said today at the Capitol Hill Club. “They have irrational goals.”

The Department of Defense recently released its Fiscal Year 2010 budget, which amounts to “a proposed defense budget of $663.8 billion,” according to the DoD. Franks fears that the numbers reflect a lack of attention not being paid to countries considered threatening to U.S. national security.

In April, North-Korea launched a ballistic missile-bearing satellite. It is widely believed that the launch was an attempt by the country to test its weapons capabilities.

Franks said,“If North-Korea is willing to sell missile technology, then they might be selling war heads.”

Although Iran has been less aggressive in its rhetoric in the past months, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has had strong words in the past, in particular towards Israel. He is thought to have said that “Israel must be wiped off the map.”

Iran is another country that needs to be watched, Franks said. “The last thing we want is Iran coming up with a nuclear technology that they can surrogate for terrorist groups,” he said. “It is very likely that they (Iranians) will put it in the hands of nuclear terrorists.”

DOD Official: Sailors Should Fight Somali Pirates Themselves

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

The most effective way to deal with piracy off of the Somali coast is for the sailors to defend themselves, according to a Defense Department representative testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

Michele Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, said that of the recent pirate attacks in Somalia the most effective means of fending off the pirates came from actions taken by the crews themselves.

“The single most effective short-term response to piracy will be working with merchant shipping lines to ensure that vessels in the region take appropriate security measures themselves,” Flournoy said. She continued that it is not possible for the U.S. military to prevent or intervene in every pirate attack, but if crews take appropriate measures, “the vast majority of pirate attacks can be thwarted without any need for military intervention.”

There were 122 attempted pirate attacks in 2008, of which only 42 resulted in crewmembers becoming captured. Of the unsuccessful attacks, 78 percent of them were stopped by the crews actions, with the others being stopped by military intervention, according to Flournoy.

Flournoy divided crew countermeasures into two categories: passive and active defense measures. Passive measures are those which don’t necessarily require direct confrontation with the pirates, and can include physical obstructions to boarding points, avoiding high-risk waters, creating fortified “safe rooms” in the ship, posting lookouts at all times, and maintaining contact with maritime security forces. Active defense measures can include using fire hoses and small arms to repel pirates and a military presence on the boat. Both of these defensive measures are important for crews to talk to defend themselves, Flournoy said.

She believes that the complexity of this situation necessitates a multifaceted approach, which is why the aforementioned measures should be combined with greater military patrols and economic development. Additionally, the Defense Department would like to see more states willing to prosecute the pirates. Presently, Kenya is one of the only nations to actually place Somali pirates on trial.

According to Flournoy, since August 2008 36 pirate vessels have been destroyed or confiscated, small arms have been seized, and 146 pirates have been turned over to law enforcement officers.

Gates: Afghanistan is “greatest military challenge right now”

While testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates laid out the challenges facing the Defense Department. Gates said that “the greatest military challenge right now is Afghanistan,” but went on to say that there is “no purely military solution in Afghanistan”. Gates said that the highest priorities should be increasing the size and training of the Afghan army. He stated that America’s NATO allies could be doing more to support the war in several ways: providing caveat free military forces, providing a greater number of civilians for other efforts pertaining to operations and building, and sharing the financial burdens associated with Afghan army, estimated to be $3-4 billion in the next several years. Gates said that Afghanistan will be a “long and difficult fight”, and that the goal is for it not to be a base for terrorists.

On the topic of Iraq, Gates highlighted that on January 1st the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the US and Iraq went into effect. SOFA withdraws US combat troops from Iraqi cities by the end of June with all troops out by 2011. Secretary Gates said that the upcoming elections in Iraq show progress. In his prepared testimony, Gates noted that the “sovereignty of Iraq” is one of the “non-military ways to blunt Iran’s power to threaten its neighbors and sow instability throughout the Middle East”. On Iran, Gates reinforced that they are “developing the capabilities needed to support a nuclear weapons program.” He said that “the lower price of oil deprives Iran of revenues and, in turn, makes U.N. economic sanctions bite harder.”

On North Korea, Secretary Gates said that denuclearization is still the goal, but it is uncertain whether North Korea will be willing to entirely give up its nuclear ambitions.

Speaking generally on foreign policy, Secretary Gates said that the United States military “must be able to dissuade, deter, and, if necessary, respond to challenges across the spectrum.” He highlighted the modernization China has recently been engaged in of their armed forces, specifically in cyber warfare, anti-satellite weaponry, anti-air and anti-ship weaponry, and their use of submarines and ballistic missiles. Gates said, “modernization in these areas could threaten America’s primary means of projecting power and helping allies in the Pacific: our bases, air, and sea assets, and the networks that support them.” Gates pointed out that the ground offensive by Russian troops into Georgia was preceded by a “sophisticated cyber attack”, and said that the Russian army is a “force to be reckoned with” in Eastern Europe. Secretary Gates was careful to say that Russia’s current efforts to dominated its “near abroad” should not be confused with the Soviet ideological campaign to dominate the world.

Defense Secretary Gates also met today with the House Armed Services Committee on the similar topics.

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service