watch out fer terrorists with giant slingshoots..umber alert

[Guest guest]

and it continues

 

the admin has been wanting to weaponize space since day one

 

U.S. warns of threat to satellites By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic

Writer

Wed Dec 13, 1:58 PM ET

 

 

 

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration warned Wednesday against threats

by terrorist groups and other nations against U.S. commercial and

military satellites, and discounted the need for a treaty aimed at

preventing an arms race in space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Undersecretary of State Robert G. Joseph also reasserted U.S. policy

that it has a right to use force against hostile nations or terror

groups that might try to attack American satellites or ground

installations that support space programs. President Bush

adopted a new U.S. space policy earlier this year.

 

" We reserve the right to defend ourselves against hostile attacks and

interference with our space assets, " Joseph said in prepared remarks to

the George C. Marshall Institute.

 

Joseph, the senior arms control official at the State Department, said

nations cannot all be counted on to use space purely for peaceful

purposes.

 

" A number of countries are exploring and acquiring capabilities to

counter, attack, and defeat U.S. space systems, " Joseph said

 

He also said terrorists " understand our vulnerabilities and have

targeted our economy in the past, as they did on 9/11. " He said

terrorists and enemy states might view the U.S. space program as " a

highly lucrative target, " while sophisticated technologies could

improve their ability to interfere with U.S. space systems and

services.

 

Joseph did not identify terror groups or nations that might have such

motives. An aide to Joseph, who spoke on condition of anonymity because

he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said that information was

classified.

 

" For our part, we must take all of these threats seriously because

space capabilities are essential " to the U.S. economy and government,

Joseph said. He said the U.S. is more reliant on space than any other

country.

 

" No nation, no state-actor, should be under the illusion that the

United States will tolerate a denial of our right to the use of space

for peaceful purposes, " he said.

 

Wade Boese, a spokesman for the private Arms Control Association,

challenged the adminstration's policy. He said rejecting additional

international arms controls for space runs counter to U.S. security

interests " because the United States has the most to lose from an

unregulated space arena. "

 

Boese said he believes the administration wants to avoid negotiations

in order to preserve the possibility of deploying space-based missile

defense systems, such as interceptors.

 

Joseph listed telecommunications, transportation, electrical power,

water supply, gas and oil storage, transportation systems, emergency

services, banking and finance, and government services as relying

heavily on data transmitted by satellites.

 

 

History repeats itself

and each time the price gets higher