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Missile Defense Watch: Operational
In this photo provided by Missile Defense Agency, a ground-based missile is shown shortly after liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Friday, Sept. 28, 2007. The missile successfully intercepted a target missile Friday in a test of the nation’s defense system, the Missile Defense Agency said.
Missile defense system is up and running, military says
After a successful test last week, the tracking radars and interceptor rockets of a new American missile defense system can be turned on at any time to respond to an emerging crisis in Asia, senior military officers said Tuesday.
General Victor Renuart Jr., the senior commander for defense of United States territory, said that the antimissile system could guard against the risk of ballistic missile attack from North Korea even while development continues on a series of radars in California and the Pacific Ocean and on interceptor missiles in Alaska and California.
While the new system is limited, it is the most extensive anti-ballistic missile system the Pentagon has fielded since the Safeguard ABM system near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota was briefly operated, starting in 1975. Congress immediately voted to shut it down, and it operated for only a few months.
“We can bring missiles up or take them down as need be so that they can continue doing the testing,” said Renuart, commander of the military’s Northern Command, based in Colorado Springs. But, he added, “I’m fully confident that we have all of the pieces in place that, if the nation needed to, we could respond.”
Here is the video of the September 28th test from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=z2nlYEJIEDE[/youtube]
Although there appears to be minimal operational status at this time it is still noteworthy milestone in the history of the Missile Defense Agency.
So, what is next?
The Pentagon will incorporate counter-measures in its next major missile defense test for the first time in years after a successful intercept last week, the general who heads the program said Tuesday.
Critics of the system have long contended the interceptor’s so-called “kill vehicle” could easily be spoofed with simple counter-measures such as decoy balloons, because of the difficulty of distinguishing a warhead from other objects in space.
But Lieutenant General Henry “Trey” Obering showed reporters a video of the view from the kill vehicle in Friday’s test in which it is seen sorting through a variety of objects before zeroing in on the mock warhead.
The other objects included the missile’s re-entry vehicle as well as other as yet unidentified debris, said Obering, who heads the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency.
“We did not have countermeasures on this flight,” he said, but based on the system’s performance in the test, “we will be put them on the next flight.”
The next test could be as early as February or March, or as late as May, a spokesman for the agency said.
And, deployment in Europe to protect United States and its Allies from Iran missile attack.
A successful U.S. missile defense test last Friday should quieten doubts about the system’s viability and bolster support for U.S. plans to deploy interceptor missiles and a powerful tracking radar in Europe, a top Pentagon official said on Tuesday.
“I think it helps in a very real way,” Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Henry Obering told reporters. He said European and NATO allies often questioned him about the unproven nature of U.S. missile defenses.
“This goes a long way to answering that question,” he said. “We’re making great steady progress in terms of showing that this system does work, and this is a major step forward.”
Washington wants to install 10 ground-based interceptor missiles in Poland and a tracking radar station in the Czech Republic to defend against a potential Iranian missile attack. It says Iran may develop missiles able to reach the United States by 2015.
Even if work began next year, the European sites would not be operational until 2011 or 2012, Obering said, underscoring the need to start soon.
Thanks to President Ronald Reagan and his early SDI staff America is safer today. And, no thanks to Senators Carl Levin, Joe Biden, Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry.
Previous:Missile Defense Watch: Vandenberg AFB Ground-Based Interceptor Missile Test is Successful
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Technorati Tags: Missile Defense Agency, Missile Defense -
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy Assails Hillary Clinton for Southern Accent Pander
Republican presidential hopeful, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani shakes hands during a campaign stop at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, N.H., Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007.
Republican Rudy Giuliani compared Hillary Rodham Clinton to 1972 Democratic nominee George McGovern on Wednesday and chided his rival for adding a Southern lilt to her voice as he intensified his criticism.
Positioning himself as the one Republican able to thwart another Clinton presidency, Giuliani lambasted Clinton’s recent comments about giving a $5,000 savings bond to every U.S.-born baby.
“It’s interesting that Hillary is taking something from the George McGovern playbook,” Giuliani said in Manchester, N.H., likening her idea to the former South Dakota senator’s proposal to send $1,000 to every U.S. resident.
Without naming Clinton, Giuliani also alluded to an appearance this past spring in Selma, Ala., in which she slipped into what sounded like a Southern accent before a largely black audience.
Asked by reporters whether he can win religious conservative votes, Giuliani said: “I don’t have a different program for one group or another. I don’t have a different accent for different parts of the country.”
Mayor Giuliani has it RIGHT on both accounts.
Flap wrote about the McGovern give-away that Hillary copied in the context of her socialized medicine scheme, Hillary Care 2.0.
But, Mr. Mayor, Flap is confused on the southern lilt to her accent. Do you mean this one?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqj_JGwGTXA&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fflapsblog%2Ecom%2Findex%2Ephp%3Fs%3Dhillary%2Bclinton%2Bsouthern%2Baccent[/youtube]
Or are you referencing this one?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUFboASkuOU&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fflapsblog%2Ecom%2Findex%2Ephp%3Fs%3Dhillary%2Bclinton%2Bsouthern%2Baccent[/youtube]The Clinton response:
Clinton spokesman Phil Singer responded: “It’s unfortunate that the mayor’s entire campaign is premised on attacking others instead of talking about what he would do if elected.”
Right……..
By the way, Mayor Giuliani started a new radio ad in New Hampshire today where he is within the margin of error for the lead for the GOP nomination. Rudy leads most, if not all, national GOP polls.
The audio link for the ad, Tested, is here.
Previous:
Giuliani Poll Watch: New Hampshire – Rudy Gains as Romney Declines
Mitt Romney Lead in New Hampshire Collapses
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Mr. September Blackballed By Christian Right? The Reaction Part Two
Rudy – Send Judith to Voice Mail
Anti-Giuliani Group Punks Rudy But Gets IT Wrong
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Mr. September Blackballed By Christian Right? The Reaction
Giuliani Poll Watch: Rudy Continues to Contend in South Carolina
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy Wins GOP Women Straw Poll
Giuliani Poll Watch: Rudy Contends in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Mr. September Blackballed By Christian Right?
Technorati Tags: Rudy Giuliani
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Michael Ramirez on the Rush Limbaugh Phony Soldier Attack
Yes, Michael, Dingy Harry Reid, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are attempting to deflect DAMAGE from the MoveOn.org Petraeus ad in the New York Times.
And, they are also firing a SALVO on conservative talk radio in an attempt to neutralize Rush and Bill O’Reilly’s power in the upcoming Presidential elections.
Rush has defended himself well but the entire FLAP is BS anyway.
A PHONY FLAP, you say?
Now, a Hillary Clinton surrogate, General Wesley Clark on the NBC Today Show said he wants Rush Limbaugh off Armed Forces Radio.
How silly will the LEFT go in playing MUDBALL?
Previous:
Michael Ramirez on Flip Flopping Hillary Clinton
Michael Ramirez on Hillary Care 2.0
Michael Ramirez on Hillary Clinton and Norman Hsu
Technorati Tags: Rush Limbaugh, Hillary Clinton, Wesley Clark, Harry Reid
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North Korea Watch: The DPRK Agrees to Disable All Existing Nuclear Facilities
Satellite image of North Korea’s nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. North Korea has agreed to disable the facilities at its main Yongbyon nuclear reactor complex by December 31 under US supervision, according to a six-nation agreement released by China.
North Korea agrees to disable nuke plant
North Korea agreed to provide a “complete and correct declaration” of its nuclear programs and will disable its facilities at its main reactor complex by Dec. 31 under an agreement reached by North Korea and five other countries released Wednesday.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said as part of the agreement, the U.S. will take the lead in seeing that the facilities are disabled and will fund those initial activities.
“The DPRK agreed to disable all existing nuclear facilities subject to abandonment under the Sept. 2005 joint statement and Feb. 13 agreement.
“The disablement of the five megawatt experimental reactor at Yongbyon, the reprocessing plant at Yongbyon and the nuclear fuel rod fabrication facility at Yongbyon will be completed by 31 December 2007,” Wu said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The agreement came after negotiations last week in Beijing involving China, the U.S., Japan, Russia and South and North Korea. It puts in writing a verbal promise that North Korean negotiator Kim Kye Gwan gave to U.S. envoy Christopher Hill a month ago.
More good news out of North Korea.
But, Flap cannot help but note national missile defense which in some way drove Kim Jong-Il to the bargaining table.
And remember North Korea has a way in abrogating agreements so trust but verify here.
Denuclearization is the next step – the removal of all fissonable material from North Korea and the removval of their existing nuclear weapons.
Stay tuned…..
Previous:
North Korea Watch: North Korea to Delcare and Dismantle ALL Nuclear Facilities By the End of 2007
North Korea Watch: IAEA Inspectors Reach Nuclear Agreement
North Korea Watch: US-NK Set Timetable to Shut Down Yongbyon Reactor
North Korea Watch: Hill Visits North Korea to Accelerate Six Party Nuclear TalksNorth Korea Watch: Hill – North Korea to Disable ALL Nuclear Facilities by the End of 2007
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North Korea Watch: North Korea Continues to Develop Nuclear WeaponsNorth Korea Watch: Deal or NO Deal?
North Korea Watch: North Korea Agrees to Nuclear Disarmament
North Korea Watch: North Korea Tentatively Agrees to Nuclear Disarmament
Technorati Tags: NorthKorea, KimJong-Il
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Giuliani Poll Watch: New Hampshire – Rudy Gains as Romney Declines
Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani speaks to a group of supporters at Dino’s Seaville Diner in Dennis Township, N.J., Monday, Oct. 1, 2007.
A new NewsMax/Zogby survey shows the Mitt Romney lead in New Hampshire being cast aside, turning the state’s Republican nomination race into a cliffhanger featuring a clash of styles and substance.
The GOP NUTS:
In the Zogby poll Romney has lost 11 points since May. In the recent ARG poll Mitt has lost 3 points and McCain surged. The CNN poll shows only a 1 point Romney lead (within the margin of error).
New Hampshire is a horse race.
And, Rudy Giuliani has been the beneficiary of the Romney decline.
Just a few weeks ago the Romney folks were bragging that Romney was going to ride the momentum from wins in Iowa and New Hampshire to South Carolina and Florida.
Well, Mitt’s poll lead has collapsed in New Hampshire. So, back to the drawing board for Mitt’s strategy team.
Rudy has made a point of contending in ALL states and conserving campaign resources. Romney has tried for a knock out blow in Iowa and New Hampshire while burning through campaign cash.
Let’s look at the Real Clear Politics graph and chart:
But, why has Romney collapsed and what portends for the future?
But it is possible that something more fundamental is at play here. New Hampshire is the state of “live free or die,†where religious conservatives do not dominate the G.O.P. electorate and libertarianism has a long tradition. So while Mr. Romney was affecting his socially conservative, anti-gay-marriage rebirth with an eye toward Iowa, Republicans in New Hampshire have watched approvingly as Mr. Giuliani (and John McCain, for that matter) pounded the lectern about taxes and security.
What’s more, New Hampshire is a state heavily influenced by the Massachusetts media market, and which is overrun by transplants from Massachusetts. While Iowa has only ever known the religious conservative Mitt Romney, the residents of New Hampshire will be keenly aware of the stark changes Mr. Romney has undergone in order to accommodate his new political goals.
A dilemma for Governor Romney, wouldn’t you say?
Play the moderate to win New Hampshire or lose your NEW “BRAND†as a social conservative and lose South Carolina, Florida and other southern states.
Can’t have it both ways.
In any case, Giuliani is the WINNER here.
Previous:
Mitt Romney Lead in New Hampshire Collapses
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Mr. September Blackballed By Christian Right? The Reaction Part Two
Rudy – Send Judith to Voice Mail
Anti-Giuliani Group Punks Rudy But Gets IT Wrong
Rudy Giuliani Watch: Mr. September Blackballed By Christian Right? The Reaction
Giuliani Poll Watch: Rudy Continues to Contend in South Carolina
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Giuliani Poll Watch: Rudy Contends in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina
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Technorati Tags: Rudy Giuliani
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Day By Day by Chris Muir October 3, 2007
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Linked to Electric Venom
Technorati Tags: Day By Day, Chris Muir