Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance,
WASHINGTON: Riki Ellison, President of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, was at the Senate's Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces hearing on Capitol Hill on April 11, hosted by Chairman Bill Nelson (D-FL). Testifying before the committee were: Lt. Gen Trey Obering, Director of the Missile Defense Agency; Lt Gen Kevin Campbell, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command; Mr. Charles McQueary, Director of Operational Test & Evaluation; Mr. Paul Francis, Director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management, GAO; and Mr. Brian Green, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Capabilities, Department of Defense.
“It was evident in testimony that the threat of ballistic missiles and their future is a reality that our country must deal with and that consensus for the need of missile defense is apparent,” stated Ellison. “The crux of the hearing focused on the third missile defense site located in Europe, as missile defense issues of oversight, accountability, testing and value were adequately exposed and answered by the subcommittee and those that testified.”
The European missile site came into sharp focus when Senator Jack Reed and Senator Bill Nelson asked a series of questions on pending agreements with the Poles and the Czechs, the ten missiles for the site, and on NATO approval for the missile site, to Mr. Brian Green, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Capabilities for the Department of Defense. These questions and answers exposed current and potential issues with the placement of missile defense systems in Europe.
The ballistic missile threat posed by Iran to Europe and the United States shed a new perspective as Senator Jeff Sessions and Senator John Inhofe linked the recent hostage situation between Iran and the United Kingdom.
“I ask my colleagues to consider this initiative (European missile site) in the broader context of our defense strategy and would note that just last month Iran held 15 British citizens hostage. With ballistic missiles armed with weapons of mass destruction, Iran could hold entire cities, even nations, hostage,” stated Senator Sessions.
Senator Inhofe remarked, “You know, if you're looking at Iran, and some of the things — what they were willing to do with their hostages just a week ago, what would they do if they had the capability of some kind of missile? I can't help but think that they've demonstrated pretty clearly that they would be willing to — if they can hold one country hostage with hostages, then what could they do if they had that capability, to an entire country … “
In conclusion Ellison commented on NATO approval for the European Site, “When has the American Congress or any U.S. President asked NATO or any country in the world permission to protect our population, homeland and armed forces? Moreover there is not a NATO member country that could deploy and develop a proven ballistic missile defense system capable of stopping long range ballistic missiles from Iran by 2015 other than the United States. There currently is not another U.S. missile defense system that could replace the ground based interceptors to do this mission in Europe.”
Riki Ellison is prepared to be interviewed on the hearing and the questions posed by committee members. Call Chris Marks at 703 299-0062 to arrange an interview.
