BlueHummingbird News - Archive

Archived News Articles: NMD and Foreign Policy

3/25/2001  World News from The Age
                        Fears of new arms race as US focuses on China
                        http://www.theage.com.au/news/2001/03/26/FFX6UGAOPKC.html
                        By JAMES LANGTON
                        NEW YORK
                        Monday 26 March 2001
                        The prospect of a new arms race and a deterioration in
                        relations between America and China rose sharply this
                        weekend with reports of a switch in United States
                        defence strategy away from fighting a war in Europe
                        towards fighting one in Asia.
                        Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has told President
                        George W. Bush that he plans sweeping changes in
                        military policy to redirect the thrust of American
                        strategic planning towards China.
                        Despite the growing chill towards Russia, prompted by
                        tit-for-tat spy expulsions, and signs of a return to
                        Cold War politics, the Bush administration is convinced
                        that China's growing military and economic strength
                        makes it the real threat to world peace in the 21st
                        century.

3/25/2001  From cbc.ca
                        http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/03/24/eggleton010324
                         
                        Eggleton, Manley hedge on missile defence
                        WebPosted Sun Mar 25 09:11:31 2001
                        COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - Defence Minister Art Eggleton
                        hedged on making any commitment to support a United
                        States missile defence system when he visited the North
                        American Aerospace Defence Command Saturday. ....
                        There are reports of frustration in Washington over
                        Canada's hesitant position. In 2000, a senior official
                        with the U.S. Space Command said if Canada doesn't
                        support the U.S. scheme, the U.S. might decide not to
                        intercept any missiles heading for targets in Canada.
...
                        Eggleton says Canada has concerns that the missile
                        defence system could encourage a new nuclear arms race.

3/25/2001  From ABQjournal.com Highlights from article:
                         
                        Sunday, March 25, 2001
                        Defense Aims for Orbit
                        Albuquerque Journal Copyright 2001 -AUTHOR: John J.
                        Lumpkin
                        By John J. Lumpkin
                        Journal Staff Writer

                         
                        "....Until his appointment as Bush's secretary of
                        defense, Donald Rumsfeld headed a blue-ribbon panel
                        studying U.S. vulnerabilities in space. Its conclusion:
                        the U.S. is at risk of a "space Pearl Harbor" unless it
                        takes measures to defend its satellites.  Rumsfeld
                        listed "defense of space assets" among his top
                        priorities. ...
                        Newer anti-satellite weapons could be based on the
                        ground or in orbit. Many would use lasers or
                        electromagnetic pulses to jam or disable the electronics
                        on their targets. ... Another, relatively crude,
                        satellite killer would be a nuclear weapon detonated
                        near orbit. The resulting electromagnetic pulse could
                        wipe out whole constellations of satellites. ..."
                         
                            "If any nation has a lot to lose by allowing space
                        to become an arena of war, it's us. We have got all that
                        stuff up there," said Karl Grossman, a journalism
                        professor at The City University of New York and a
                        crusader against the militarization of space. "Once we
                        move into space with weaponry, you've got to expect
                        other nations are going to meet us in kind. Inevitably
                        there will be war in space."
                         
                        "...But long-range plans suggest space war will involve
                        more than battling satellites controlled from the
                        Earth's surface. Military documents suggest that lasers
                        and "kinetic-energy weapons" that drop guided metal rods
                        could destroy targets on the Earth's surface. ...
                             The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 prohibits weapons of
                        mass destruction like nuclear weapons to be based in
                        space. Arms-control advocates note this provision was
                        pushed by the United States during the Cold War, when
                        Soviet space capability appeared to exceed ours. They
                        would like to see this treaty extended to all weapons in
                        space.
                             In November 1999, the United Nations voted to
                        reaffirm the treaty, highlighting the provision that
                        space is to be used for "peaceful purposes." One hundred
                        thirty-eight nations voted to do so; the United States
                        and Israel abstained. ...
                             The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972 ...
                        prohibits space-based missile defenses. Because it also
                        prohibits ground-based continental missile defenses like
                        those under development, the Bush administration has
                        indicated it might withdraw from the treaty."

3/30/2001  from The Salt Lake Tribune -
                        Helms Calls for Repudiation of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
                        http://www.sltrib.com/03302001/nation_w/84168.htm


3/30/2001  From Reuters
                        http://www.russiatoday.com/news.php3?id=324887&section=default
                        Bush Puts U.S. Nuclear Aid to Russia Under Review
                         3/30/2001  From Russia Today, BBC:
                        http://www.russiatoday.com/news.php3?id=324947
                        Russian Expert Warns Against Militarization of Space
                        MOSCOW, Mar 30, 2001 -- (BBC Monitoring) Text of report
                        in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS.
                        Maj-Gen Vladimir Belous, Professor at the Academy of
                        Military Sciences, speaking here on Thursday [29 March]
                        at a news conference dealing with the military and
                        technical aspects of the U.S. plans to establish a
                        National Missile Defense (NMD) system and possibilities
                        for Russia's actions in response, said he believed that
                        the deployment of NMD would inevitably lead to
                        militarization of outer space.
                        "There are no technologies in the world so far to fight
                        intercontinental ballistic missiles without orbiting
                        combat weapons," he said.
                        "The militarization of outer space would upset all
                        international agreements on the peaceful uses of outer
                        space and would actually lead to the dismantling of the
                        1972 antiballistic missile defense treaty. Besides, the
                        orbiting of weapons would be conducive to a race of
                        offensive nuclear arms and would lower the threshold of
                        responsibility in making major decisions about the use
                        of military force. This is why Russia would have to look
                        for adequate responses to future challenges. It has such
                        a capability," the scientist emphasized.
                        Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in English 1140
                        GMT 29 Mar 01
                        (C) 2001 BBC Monitoring


3/30/2001  To: National Desk, Contact: White House Press Office, 202-456-2580
                        http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/Current_Releases/0329-140.html
                        Remarks by the President and German Chancellor Schroeder
                        in Photo Opportunity

                        WASHINGTON, March 29 /U.S. Newswire
                        THE CHANCELLOR:  on NMD:
                        "...Obviously, we'll also have to look into lots of
                        technical
                        aspects, such as the threat scenario that is behind the
                        whole
                        system. Is it technologically feasible? Can we truly
                        implement
                        it? Who is going to be covered under the shelter? Who's
                        going to
                        be invited to be included by the shelter that we're
                        going to build?
                        What are going to be repercussions for the global
                        disarmament
                        process? What are going to be the repercussions on
                        Russia and on
                        China, for example? ..."


3/30/2001  From the International Herald Tribune:
                        http://www.iht.com/articles/15150.html
                         
                              U.S. Missile Defense Compromises Global Security
                              Tang Jiaxuan Los Angeles Times Syndicate Friday,
                              March 30, 2001
                         
                        ..."People cannot but ask what on earth is the real
                        intention behind U.S. insistence on developing a missile
                        defense system in defiance of the international
                        community. Is it really to defend against the missile
                        threat from the few so-called "problem states," or for
                        greater military advantage over other big countries? ...
                         
                        China has no intention of threatening U.S. security, nor
                        does it seek such capabilities. ...
                         
                        China and the United States shoulder common
                        responsibility for maintaining world peace and security.
                        A cooperative and constructive relationship between
                        China and the United States will have a crucial impact
                        on world stability.
                         
                        China and the United States have long engaged in
                        fruitful cooperation over nonproliferation. China is
                        ready to continue on this path. But we also look forward
                        to serious and pragmatic dialogue with the Bush
                        administration on missile defense and related issues. "
                        .
                        The writer, foreign minister of China, contributed this
                        comment to the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.


3/31/2001  Editorials
                        http://news.excite.com/news/uw/010330/university-240
                         
                        COLUMN:
                        President's stands on Arctic Refuge, missile shield troublesome

                        By Chris Himmel
                        The Miami Hurricane
                        U. Miami


                        http://www.iht.com/articles/15017.html
                              Bush 'Realism' May Backfire on U.S.
                              William Pfaff International Herald Tribune


                        http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/31/opinion/31LEWI.html
                        The Feeling of a Coup
                        By ANTHONY LEWIS


4/3/2001  Boeing; TRW; Lockheed Martin
                        http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010403/latu117.html
                         
                        Tuesday April 3, 4:02 pm Eastern Time
                        Press Release
                        SOURCE: Boeing; TRW; Lockheed Martin
                        Space-Based Laser Team Defines Requirements For
                        Experimental Missile Defense System

                        EL SEGUNDO, Calif., April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The team of
                        aerospace contractors developing the Air Force's
                        Space-Based Laser Integrated Flight Experiment (SBL-IFX)
                        has successfully completed the experimental satellite's
                        System Requirements Review, taking a major step forward
                        in the ongoing design and manufacturing development
                        process. ...
                        SBL-IFX is planned as a single satellite carrying a
                        laser payload comprising a high-energy chemical laser, a
                        beam director and related beam control systems. Team
                        SBL-IFX and the Air Force expect to launch the satellite
                        in 2012, with an on-orbit demonstration of the
                        satellite's ability to detect, track and destroy a
                        boosting missile target planned for 2013. A successful
                        test will pave the way for the nation to consider
                        developing a constellation of space-based laser
                        satellites as part of a layered missile defense
                        architecture.


4/4/2001  from the St. Petersburg Times (FL):
                        http://www.sptimes.com/News/040101/Worldandnation/EU_increases_role_as_.shtml
                         
                        EU increases role as Bush treads lighter
                        By PAUL DE LA GARZA
                        © St. Petersburg Times, published April 1, 2001


4/4/2001  from The Seattle Times:
                        http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=taiwan01&date=20010401
                         
                        Copyright © 2001 The Seattle Times Company

                        Nation & World : Sunday, April 01, 2001
                        Taiwan needs weapons, say U.S. officers

                        By Michael R. Gordon
                        The New York Times
                        TAIPEI -- A confidential review by U.S. naval officers
                        has concluded that in light of China's military buildup,
                        Taiwan needs a significant infusion of new weapons,
                        including the sophisticated Aegis ship-borne radar
                        system that China has put at the top of the list of arms
                        it does not want Taiwan to have.  ....
                        While there has been much discussion about China's
                        growing force of short-range ballistic missiles, Beijing
                        also has deployed new warplanes, destroyers, submarines,
                        anti-ship missiles and surface-to-air missiles, many of
                        which it bought from Russia. That has created a growing
                        threat to Taiwan's aging fleet, whose role is to protect
                        the island from attack and prevent a Chinese blockade. 
                        ....

                          4/4/2001  from The Hindu:
                        http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/2001/03/29/stories/03290002.htm
                        India to buy Russian missile technology?
                        WASHINGTON, MARCH 28. India is likely to procure an
                        advanced ballistic missile guidance technology from
                        Russia which would `radically' improve the accuracy of
                        its weapons.


4/4/2001  from Russia Today:
                        http://www.europeaninternet.com/russia/news.php3?id=329495
                         
                        Moscow and Beijing to Sign Friendship Treaty During Zemin Visit
                        MOSCOW, Apr 4, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Moscow and
                        Beijing will sign a 10-year friendship treaty during a
                        summer visit here by Chinese President Jiang Zemin,
                        Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said
                        Wednesday.
                        The treaty, which may later be extended, will "lead
                        Russia towards strategic cooperation with China,"
                        ITAR-TASS quoted the minister as saying. ...
                        One issue that unites the two countries today is common
                        hostility to U.S. plans to set up a national missile
                        defense shield (NMD). ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse)


                        http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nyt/20010405/wl/an_envoy_waits_as_russia_policy_is_pondered_1.html
                         
                        Thursday April 05 11:55 AM EDT
                        An Envoy Waits as Russia Policy Is Pondered
                        By PATRICK E. TYLER The New York Times
                         
                        "...Mr. Vershbow's nomination remains uncertain as the
                        administration continues to debate whether to pursue a
                        harder line with President Vladimir V. Putin. ..."


4/5/2001  from AP:
                        http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010405/wl/germany_russia_1.html
                         
                        Thursday April 5 4:45 PM ET
                        Schroeder Urges Russian Partnership
                        By TONY CZUCZKA, Associated Press Writer
                        BERLIN (AP) - Setting the stage for a German-Russian
                        summit next week, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called
                        Thursday for a ``new normality'' in relations with
                        Moscow, underlining Europe's desire for a wide-ranging
                        partnership with its big neighbor. ...

                         4/5/2001  from Reuters
                        http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010404/pl/france_usa_dc_1.html
                         
                        Wednesday April 4 12:20 AM ET
                        France's Jospin Concerned at U.S. 'Unilateralism'
                        PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin
                        voiced concern Wednesday at what he called a unilateral
                        approach to world affairs by President Bush ...



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