Venton Blandin
July 16, 2009
WHNT News
… Boeing has announced it will cut approximately 250 workers at various sites involved in missile defense work. The workers are at sites in Alabama, Alaska, California and Colorado. …
[The] situation comes from President Barack Obama’s budget for 2010. The president outlined a 35% reduction in funding for missile defense programs. …
www.whnt.com/whnt-boeing-missile-defense-cuts,0,7947283.story
By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ
July 16, 2009
New York Times
Russia’s new nuclear-capable Bulava missile has failed again, the Defense Ministry said Thursday, the Ria Novosti news agency reported. The missile, which Russian officials have said would be among the world’s most advanced weapons, was test-launched from a submarine in the White Sea on Wednesday and blew up after a first-stage malfunction, the ministry was quoted as saying. Out of 11 tests, fewer than half have been at least partly successful. …
www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/world/europe/17briefs-russiamissile.html
July 1, 2009
CBS News
Mark Knoller
In advance of Pres. Obama’s first trip to Russia next week, the White House is serving notice on the Kremlin that he won’t be making any concessions to win its approval of a U.S. missile shield in Europe or membership in NATO for Russian neighbors Ukraine and Georgia.
“We don’t need the Russians,” says Michael McFaul, special assistant to the president and senior director for Russian affairs on the National Security Council staff. …
“We’re definitely not going to use the word reassure in the way that we talk about these things,” said McFaul. “We’re not going to reassure or give or trade anything with the Russians regarding NATO expansion or missile defense.”
He said Pres. Obama will talk “very frankly” with Medvedev about U.S. national security interests and “see if there are ways we can have Russia cooperate on those things.”
Pres. Obama has pledged to reset U.S. relations with Russia, but McFaul said there’d be no concessions on missile defense or NATO “in the name of reset.”
He said Mr. Obama will make the case that Russia can play a role in enhancing its own security with respect to missile defense. …
www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/07/01/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5128736.shtml
