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US Presses Allies on Missile Shield
BRUSSELS – The United States urged NATO allies Thursday to invest in a missile shield and avoid harmful budget cuts at a rare meeting of defence and foreign ministers clouded by the war in Afghanistan.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defence Secretary Robert Gates made the plea, echoed by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, amid French reservations about the anti-missile system. (AFP) US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defence Secretary Robert
Gates made the plea, echoed by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh
Rasmussen, amid French reservations about the anti-missile system.
"The studies have been done, the data are well-known and the affordability is clear," Gates told alliance ministers. "It is time for a decision."
The ministers gathered at NATO headquarters to discuss a new "strategic concept" that will shape the 28-nation alliance's vision for the next decade to face new threats including missiles from "rogue" states and cyber assaults.
Gates has put the price tag to link NATO members into a common anti-missile network at between 85 million and 100 million euros (120 million and 140 million dollars). Rasmussen says it would cost less than 200 million euros.
Rasmussen expressed optimism that the missile shield would be endorsed by NATO leaders at a summit in Lisbon on November 19-20, saying it was well on the way to a "consensus" following the ministerial meeting.
French Defence Minister Herve Morin, however, expressed his "reservations" about the plan, saying Paris wanted more details about how much the system would cost and how it would work.
But he hinted that France would not block the missile shield plan when NATO leaders meet in Lisbon.
France, a nuclear-armed power, was also at odds with Germany, which backs the missile shield plan but is also pushing for nuclear disarmament, diplomats said.
"We all agree that we need an anti-missile shield if we look at the threats of today and tomorrow," German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg told reporters. "We are very close to an agreement."
Clinton said the draft strategic concept recognises the need for NATO "to remain a nuclear alliance as long as nuclear weapons exist" and at the same time highlights President Barack Obama's goal of a nuclear-free world.
Although Afghanistan was not officially on the agenda, ministers discussed the nine-year-old campaign which involves 150,000 international troops.
"Both Bob and I and a lot of our counterparts here in Brussels have both seen and received reports of progress that we are making on the ground," Clinton told a news conference.
Rasmussen also said the NATO-led force was willing to provide "practical assistance" to reconciliation efforts between the Afghan government and the Taliban but ruled out halting military operations against the insurgency.
NATO leaders are expected to endorse at a summit in Lisbon next month plans to begin the handover of security responsibility to Afghan forces by July 2011.
They will also sign off on the strategic concept, replacing a document written in 1999, two years before the September 11 attacks on the United States that sparked the war in Afghanistan..
The 11-page mission statement, drafted by Rasmussen, has not been made public but it is expected to touch on 21st century threats including cyber attacks, missiles from "rogue" states, terrorism and Somali piracy.
While Gates acknowledged fiscal pressures on defence budgets across the alliance, he warned against cuts that could weaken NATO and even leave it crippled.
"But as nations deal with their economic problems, we must guard against the hollowing out of alliance military capability by spending reductions that cut too far into muscle," he said.
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33 Comments so far
Show AllBeautiful photo of Count and Countess Dracula!
May the two people in the accompanying photo rot in Hell. No, come to think of it, they'll probably take the place over.
Mordi...
They're on the Board of Directors and are currently on sabbatical leave for a few years.
So that's why Walmart hasn't had any board meetings lately.
"The studies have been contrived and falsified, the data are well-doctored and the burden on the dumber-than-shit tax-payer is clear," Gates told alliance ministers. "It is time to roll!."
I'm disappointed President Obama has rolled over so easily, and doesn't act to oppose the Military-Industrial Complex.
braulioherrera -
What planet are you visiting from?
Very good translation of the yankspeek, (which is a very different language than English, or the language used by most citizens of the usa) a special language that is used by the uber 1337 when they want to bamboozle the citizens of their country into doing something utterly dumb. In this case it's to build a virtual wall (that can't possibly work) to guard against a non-existent threat which might appear only if the gov't of the usa can get violent enough.
Greenspan used this hi-fork english with congress on a regular basis.
The USA has a very, very, very serious problem with this violence business. Their business model requires continued cash flow from the rubes in the USA to the offense contractors for Wall Street to pay the greedy government puppets. Now the 'troops' (CIA, NSA, State department, armed forces, security goons, etc.) have to strike a balance, you see. Too much violence and you don't have enough indigenous resistance for the media to hype the 'threats' from al-CIA-da and all those mongrel badies from Mexico to Mogadishu. It's hard work torturing, crushing and generally forking up people all over the world just enough to keep the offense industries making a profit off the product. So, when we don't have enough mayhem generating income, we sell missle defense!
As many elite businessmen in the USA are now saying in the privacy of their mansions, "The USA needs to be more proportional in administering violence in order to keep our dumb shit populace paying for our bullshit wars".
Egelbert, You are absolutely right here and on your other comment below.
One has to wonder if the “high alert” warnings for terrorist attack teams expected in France, UK and Germany last week was not made to soften up the delegates to coincide with this little pow-wow of delusional (or illusionist) servants of the corporate elite.
When the article says: “The 11-page mission statement, drafted by Rasmussen, has not been made public but it is expected to touch on 21st century threats including cyber attacks, missiles from "rogue" states, terrorism and Somali piracy.”
One also can but wonder how much longer populations being crippled by imposed “austerity” will tolerate these self serving and overly protected delusional puppets of oligarchs, being and funding the “causes” of global insecurity while at the same time pretending and attempting to fool people that their efforts are somehow providing any real defence against the effects.
“Cause” and “effect”, the idea of the global oligarchy is to make significant profits for the MIC at both ends and in the middle too while screwing the masses into a NWO of debt and tax slavery.
Quite frankly, NATO is long passed its sell by date. For Hilary to be talking about its “successes” in Afghanistan is completely “Alice in Wonderland” stuff, and Rasmussen is as mad as a Mad Hatter.
Those Goddamned French and their 'Reservations'!
"US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates made the plea, echoed by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, amid French reservations about the anti-missile system". (AFP)
What in HELL are our humanitarian diplomats and NATO reps doing on "French Reservations"?
Don't they know the 'French Reservations' are reserved(?) for the indigenous French population who have been persecuted for centuries?
Is that where they went after the French and Indian War?
So the Brits took over both sides afterwards, kinda like Franco did in the Spanish Civil War?
*Comment deleted by site administrators for using all capital letters*
see: http://www.commondreams.org/comment-policy
ok....maybe too many capital letters....but I don't recall "all" capital letters.
so :
usa to world: "you need us, you need, us, you need us....dammit!"
world to usa: "uhmmm....not really....we need protection from YOU".
only one word in capital letters...
teddy, i am obviously not up to speed on my 'netiquette'. What is the problem with capital letters?
considered to be yelling. Also a bugger to read due to font issues.
What was the point of voting for Obama if he acts just like Bush?
and Hillary makes Rumsfeild look sane.
hillary is just making sure she gets to be "warrior queen" before Liz Cheney, Jr. does...
Teddy, as an outsider, I look at US politics and see an ever increasing number of "warrior queens" - Debra Kagan (although to be fair, I am not sure if "she" is female), Sarah Palin, Hilary Clinton, Liz Cheney. When you look at their faces, there is hatred and anger, and a kind of zealous glint, something which has nothing to do with modern politics and diplomacy.
There are too many people like this, who would have no qualms about reaping destruction on other nations, just as long as they are not personally affected.
Cold, heartless bitches, all of them.
How far into Jabba the Hutt can you "cut" before hitting the "muscle". The Pentagon is bloated far beyond recognition as a military force. The MIC is practically a country unto itself. It was almost 10 years ago that the Pentagon admitted it could not account for $1 billion. I can't imagine the accounting got better during the Cheney/Bush years and Obama seems to be ignoring it altogether. I'd like to see Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton find the goddamn muscle somewhere under that mass of oily, toxic fat, before badgering the rest of us not to cut into it.
Case in point - 140,000 kevlar-clad US troops and mercenaries in Afghanistan, fought to a standstill by 2000 guys with old AKs and turbans. WTF "muscle" are they talking about?
My friend, you misunderestimate our business model. The bottom line is profit. We like small scale conflict with low casualties (on our side). It's not about winning. It's about making money for a long, long time. As to the indigenous population, it's the same strategy as was used on the native Americans (demoralize them by convincing them that the US troops will be there until hell freezes over).
The American people have never won a single war. The elite traitors in Amerca have won them all.
"It was almost 10 years ago that the Pentagon admitted it could not account for $1 billion."
Um, actually, the figure the Pentagon could not account for, as announced by Donald Rumsfeld on September 10, 2001, was $1 TRILLION, not billion.
To date, no one has been held accountable for this accounting "mistake."
Two wars for ten years -- and a MIC worth now $750 billion/?
.... and still more Star Wars!! Militarizing the skies ...
another PNAC wet dream!!
Americans -- please wake up!!!
.
"According to all myth, the female - not the male -- gives life"
Are you arguing that Hillary is a Drag Queen?
Didn't this used to be a joke when Raygun brought it up? weren't we laughing back then at his wacko "star wars"? Hasn't the u.s. completely lost it's mind?
Yes indeed, I remember those days. That shows you how degraded we have become. The laughter we all enjoyed in the '80s has been justified by scores of tests of this idiotic system, every single one of which has failed. But we have moved, since the '80s, into a realm where facts and evidence count for nothing whatsoever in the face of ideology and the insatiable demands of the military-industrial complex.
It has lost its mind. The only thought it can hold is to enrich the military industry.
Joe
NATO was never any good in the first place. Read up on its history. Even George Kennan a premier Cold Warrior opposed it when it from the start.
AD
What next, a missle shield for Walmart?
Hypocrites R us
Nothing has apparently been learned from the "Krupp strategy" of the 19th century. The German gun maker first produced a gun that could pierce all then existing armor. Next he produced a steel that could resist his own new projectiles. Next he produced another new gun ....ad infinitum.
Correction: of course everything has been learned from Krupp namely that this is a terrific method for making money and gaining power. The big difference is that Krupp sold his stuff to anyone willing to pay, including potential enemies of Germany.
I invite anyone to google the name Carol Rosin and hear her speak about what Wernher Von Braun warned her about in the mid seventies. I met her by chance at a march at the cape in florida - mid nineties - against the weaponization of space.
Let me see; put up net to catch rocks from east and a little south east and put up shield facing Israel and us of a. That should do it! Tony
Thank you for posting the photo. My wife and I have been wondering what masks we should wear to best shock and awe people on Halloween.
Even though we have many choices, these two are as good as any; however, they may be too obscene for use around children.
Gates told alliance ministers. "It is time for a decision."
When our son was about 4 we were in a toy store. He wanted something and announced "It's now or never". So we said, "OK, never". He was shocked that his ultimatum did not work.
That's the kind of NO that NATO should give to the petulant marketing queen for the arms industry. We have to start producing something useful.
Joe