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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§ion=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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