Taking China seriously – a decade too late
The Bush administration has announced it has suspended plans
to develop joint space ventures with China. The suspension comes
on the heels of China's successful test of a new anti-satellite space
weapon.
China tested its space-bound ballistic missile system by taking
aim at an obsolete 4-foot by 4-foot communications satellite orbiting
530 miles above the earth.
The Chinese missile scored a direct hit on the target, creating
more orbiting space debris and increasing the risk of collision
between the debris and other orbiting satellites.
According to NASA spokesman Jason Sharp, China's missile
test undermined an agreement reached between President Bush
and Chinese President Hu Jintao during an April summit.
"We believe China's development and testing of such weapons is
inconsistent with the constructive relationship that our presidents
have outlined, including on civil space cooperation," Sharp said.
He also said there were "some initial discussions looking at where
there were mutual interests where we could cooperate with the
Chinese," but there are no plans for future discussions. The two
presidents had hoped to work on joint moon exploration and
space-debris avoidance.
Space debris is only part of the issue. The real issue is that China's
weapons test puts U.S. satellites within China's reach in the event of
some future war.
America relies on satellites to guide smart bombs, keep track of
enemy troop movements, guide cruise missiles on target, provide
real-time battlefield communications, as well as monitoring potential
incoming missile attacks.
Knock our satellites out of the sky and what remains of
our military machine is about the size of Saddam Hussein's
pre-Gulf War Iraq, but, without technology to make it all
work, not nearly as well-equipped.
Robert Joseph, undersecretary of state for arms control and the
administration's point man for space security policy, said this week
that the space weapons test was "a shock."
It shows space is a "contested environment" and that "countries
are developing capabilities to put at risk our assets for which we are
dependent," he said.
"This is a wake-up call," Joseph said, noting that the United States
needs "to ensure that we take the steps necessary to protect the
space assets and the right to unfettered access to space."
It may be a wake-up call, but we should have set the alarm a bit
earlier.
Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., chairwoman of the House Armed
Services Committee, was more blunt, calling the test "irresponsible
and unacceptable" and warning that, "sticking our heads in the sand
isn't going to make it better; it will only make it worse."
The warning, like the wake-up call, would have been a good
idea – 10 years ago – before the waiver granted by Bill Clinton
handed China the technology it needed.
It's too late to close Pandora's Box now.
February 9. 2007 Hal Lindsay
Hal Lindsay.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trading With the Enemy: How the Clinton Administration
Armed (video)
This video includes first ever interviews with top defense
and intelligence officials, Members of Congress, and former top
Clinton Administration officials discussing transfers
of weapons technology for campaign cash.
The documentary also outlines how crucial security procedures
were circumvented as the Clinton Administration ordered
dangerous weapons technology transfers to the Peoples Republic
of China.
It also includes exclusive footage of Charlie Trie acting as liaison
between Bill Clinton and Communist Chinese offcials just before
the 1992 election.
VHS. 60 minutes. $20.95
Shop WND
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want politicians to stop PROSTITUTING themselves? Television
needs to provide FREE campaign ad space for all...no favoritism
allowed.
Seems to me they should be making enough BIG money from all
those superbowl ads ~~EVERY year~~ that they could afford to let
politicians campaign for free on tv~~every FOUR!!
If you ain't part of the solution, then you're part of the
PROBLEM....think outside the box.
Top of Page
to develop joint space ventures with China. The suspension comes
on the heels of China's successful test of a new anti-satellite space
weapon.
China tested its space-bound ballistic missile system by taking
aim at an obsolete 4-foot by 4-foot communications satellite orbiting
530 miles above the earth.
The Chinese missile scored a direct hit on the target, creating
more orbiting space debris and increasing the risk of collision
between the debris and other orbiting satellites.
According to NASA spokesman Jason Sharp, China's missile
test undermined an agreement reached between President Bush
and Chinese President Hu Jintao during an April summit.
"We believe China's development and testing of such weapons is
inconsistent with the constructive relationship that our presidents
have outlined, including on civil space cooperation," Sharp said.
He also said there were "some initial discussions looking at where
there were mutual interests where we could cooperate with the
Chinese," but there are no plans for future discussions. The two
presidents had hoped to work on joint moon exploration and
space-debris avoidance.
Space debris is only part of the issue. The real issue is that China's
weapons test puts U.S. satellites within China's reach in the event of
some future war.
America relies on satellites to guide smart bombs, keep track of
enemy troop movements, guide cruise missiles on target, provide
real-time battlefield communications, as well as monitoring potential
incoming missile attacks.
Knock our satellites out of the sky and what remains of
our military machine is about the size of Saddam Hussein's
pre-Gulf War Iraq, but, without technology to make it all
work, not nearly as well-equipped.
Robert Joseph, undersecretary of state for arms control and the
administration's point man for space security policy, said this week
that the space weapons test was "a shock."
It shows space is a "contested environment" and that "countries
are developing capabilities to put at risk our assets for which we are
dependent," he said.
"This is a wake-up call," Joseph said, noting that the United States
needs "to ensure that we take the steps necessary to protect the
space assets and the right to unfettered access to space."
It may be a wake-up call, but we should have set the alarm a bit
earlier.
Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., chairwoman of the House Armed
Services Committee, was more blunt, calling the test "irresponsible
and unacceptable" and warning that, "sticking our heads in the sand
isn't going to make it better; it will only make it worse."
The warning, like the wake-up call, would have been a good
idea – 10 years ago – before the waiver granted by Bill Clinton
handed China the technology it needed.
It's too late to close Pandora's Box now.
February 9. 2007 Hal Lindsay
Hal Lindsay.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trading With the Enemy: How the Clinton Administration
Armed (video)
This video includes first ever interviews with top defense
and intelligence officials, Members of Congress, and former top
Clinton Administration officials discussing transfers
of weapons technology for campaign cash.
The documentary also outlines how crucial security procedures
were circumvented as the Clinton Administration ordered
dangerous weapons technology transfers to the Peoples Republic
of China.
It also includes exclusive footage of Charlie Trie acting as liaison
between Bill Clinton and Communist Chinese offcials just before
the 1992 election.
VHS. 60 minutes. $20.95
Shop WND
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want politicians to stop PROSTITUTING themselves? Television
needs to provide FREE campaign ad space for all...no favoritism
allowed.
Seems to me they should be making enough BIG money from all
those superbowl ads ~~EVERY year~~ that they could afford to let
politicians campaign for free on tv~~every FOUR!!
If you ain't part of the solution, then you're part of the
PROBLEM....think outside the box.
Top of Page
posted by conservative~by~nature | 4:53 PM
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