Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases

Evening Bulletin – Philadelphia,PA,USA
By David Bedein, Middle East Correspondent
April 16, 2009

Israel and the United States plan to hold a major ballistic missile defense exercise later this year called Juniper Cobra. The maneuver will jointly test three different American and Israeli missile defense systems.

Israeli defense officials said Monday the exercise is necessary to create a joint missile defense infrastructure in the event of a conflict with Iran akin to what existed in 1991, when American Patriot batteries shot down inbound Iraqi Scuds. …

http://thebulletin.us/articles/2009/04/16/news/world/doc49e6c7576f37d475503228.txt

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The Associated Press
Washington: 6 April 2009

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday recommended halting production of the F-22 fighter jet and scrapping a new helicopter for the president as he outlined deep cuts to many of the military’s biggest weapons programs. Gates said his $534 billion budget proposal represents a “fundamental overhaul” in defense acquisition and reflects a shift in priorities from fighting conventional wars to the newer threats U.S. forces face from insurgents in places such as Afghanistan. …

The promised emphasis on budget paring is a reversal from the Bush years, which included a doubling of the Pentagon’s spending since 2001. …

Plans to build a shield to defend against missile attacks by rogue states would also be scaled back. …

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5idcsRSLw6_ppJCceAZXPgvBEfojgD97D7ROO0

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New York Times – United States
By Christopher Drew: April 3, 2009

The Army’s expensive Future Combat Systems is likely to be cut back. So are exotic missile defense programs. But the supersonic F-22 fighter jet might survive. And problems with both old and new aircraft carriers could eventually lead to at least a temporary reduction in the number of carrier battle groups.

These are the consensus expectations of worried defense executives and consultants about the sweeping changes in military programs that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is expected to announce on Monday.

The decisions are expected to be the first step in a broad reshaping of the military under the Obama administration. …

www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/washington/04defense.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

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By Sam Youngman
Posted: 1 April 2009
The Hill – Washington, DC, USA

President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday that they want to reach a deal on a new treaty on strategic arms, but tiptoed around the controversial issue of missile defense. …

“We are resolved to work together to “strengthen strategic stability, international security and jointly meet contemporary global challenges, while also addressing disagreements openly and honestly in a spirit of mutual respect and acknowledgment of each other’s perspective.”

On the contentious issue of U.S. plans to put a missile defense system in Europe, the two presidents acknowledged they have their differences …

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-russian-president-delicately-tackle-missile-defense-2009-04-01.html

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US and Japan take precautions aimed at ‘rogue’ intercontinental ballistic missile North Korea is expecting to test

Buzzle – Costa Mesa, CA, USA
30 March 2009

The US and Japan yesterday deployed anti-missile batteries on land and sea to shoot down possible debris from an intercontinental ballistic missile North Korea is expected to test in the next few days.

The US defence secretary, Robert Gates, said America had no intention of shooting down the missile itself, which satellite photographs show is sitting on a launch-pad in Musudan-ri. Pyongyang says the launch is intended to put a satellite into orbit, but any such ballistic missile testing or development is banned by a 2006 United Nations resolution. Two US warships armed with Aegis anti-ballistic missiles left ports in South Korea yesterday to monitor the launch, which experts say could take place as soon as Saturday.

Japan has positioned its own missile boats in the Sea of Japan and positioned Patriot missile batteries around Tokyo. More US-made Patriot missiles arrived in northern Japan yesterday to be transferred to bases there. …

www.buzzle.com/articles/259763.html

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Russia Again Raises Missile Shield Issue

By Philip P. Pan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, March 21, 2009

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday he was “counting on” the new U.S. administration to live up to its pledge to “reset” relations between the two countries, while a senior Russian diplomat sought to link the fate of a key nuclear arms control treaty to American concessions on missile defense. …

In a separate news conference, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said he expected Medvedev and Obama to emerge from the meeting with a “concrete and clear” signal on the future of the relationship, and agreement on the “parameters” of a pact to replace START, the landmark arms control treaty scheduled to expire in December.

But Ryabkov said negotiations on new limits on nuclear warheads and weapons must be linked to the future of U.S. plans to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe that Russia has repeatedly condemned …

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032000745.html?hpid=moreheadlines

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Moscow (AFP) March 14, 2009

Russia could use bases for its strategic bombers on the doorstep of the United States in Cuba and Venezuela to underpin long-distance patrols in the region, a senior air force officer said Saturday.

“This is possible in Cuba,” General Anatoly Zhikharev, chief of the Russian air force’s strategic aviation staff, told the Interfax-AVN military news agency.

The comments were the latest signal that Moscow intends to project its military capability in far-flung corners of the globe …

www.spacewar.com/reports/Russia_weighs_Cuba_Venezuela_bases_for_bombers_report_999.html

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Wired News USA
By Nathan Hodge: March 12, 2009

Stationing missile-defense interceptors in Europe has been, to borrow a phrase, a great way to lose friends and alienate people. The Bush administration’s push to build a third missile-defense site in Europe infuriated the Kremlin, and caused no end of controversy in Poland and the Czech Republic.

It now looks as if President Barack Obama may be backing away from plans to put ballistic missile interceptors in Eastern Europe, but …

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/03/scientists-alte.html

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Wired News USA
By Nathan Hodge: March 12, 2009

Stationing missile-defense interceptors in Europe has been, to borrow a phrase, a great way to lose friends and alienate people. The Bush administration’s push to build a third missile-defense site in Europe infuriated the Kremlin, and caused no end of controversy in Poland and the Czech Republic.

It now looks as if President Barack Obama may be backing away from plans to put ballistic missile interceptors in Eastern Europe, but …

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/03/scientists-alte.html

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United Press International – USA: WASHINGTON, March 4

President Barack Obama should drop plans for a U.S. missile defense system in Eastern Europe, the Union of Concerned Scientists said Wednesday.

In a statement, David Wright of the group’s Global Security Program said that there are both technical and strategic reasons for reversing the Bush administration’s plan to locate parts of the system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The system is untested and there is no proof it would be effective, Wright said. But plans to install it have enraged Russian leaders, threatening U.S. security by hampering cooperation on important issues like halting Iran’s nuclear program.

“President Obama should say no to deploying a missile defense system that offers no security benefits and needlessly provokes Russia,” Wright said. “Missile defense is not a magic bullet. Real-world threats require real-world solutions.” …

www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/04/Scientist_group_Drop_missile_shield/UPI-38951236201674/

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