By John W. Lillpop
Former President Ronald Reagan was often ridiculed by the left for “simplistic” ideas like Star Wars. The idea of a missile system to defend against attacks by foreign evil doers was almost too outrageous to consider—a perfect topic for a grade B sci-fi movie and “dumb actor” like the Gipper.
Unfortunately North Korea’s pudgy doughboy, Kim Jong Un, is changing a lot of minds about Star Wars and the good- versus -evil mindset which Ronald Reagan used with such great effect to defeat the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
As reported at the reference, the Obama administration is reacting to Kim Jong Un’s reckless bullying and bluster with a Star Wars strategy of its own:
North Korea’s deployment of a new road-mobile missile that can hit the United States prompted the Pentagon on Friday to add more ground-based anti-missile interceptors to bases in Alaska and California, senior defense and military officials said on Friday.
Adm. James Winnefeld, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon that North Korea’s new, road-mobile KN-08 ICBM has emerged as a threat “a little bit faster than we expected.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the new long-range interceptor deployments as part of four steps being taken in response to North Korea’s latest nuclear test Feb. 12 and the recent rollout of the KN-08 road-mobile missile that intelligence officials said this week is becoming operational even though it has not been flight tested. The Taepodong-2 rocket that launched a satellite recently also highlights the long-range missile threat, he said.
“The United States has missile defense systems in place to protect us from limited ICBM attacks, but North Korea in particular has recently made advances in its capabilities and is engaged in a series of irresponsible and reckless provocations,” Hagel said.
“By taking the steps I’ve outlined today, we will strengthen our homeland defense, maintain our commitments to our allies and partners, and make clear to the world that the United States stands firm against aggression,” he said.”
The new Ground Based Interceptors (GBIs) would be in place by the end of 2016, he said
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces, said the missile defense interceptor deployment was welcome news.
“The Obama administration’s decision to deploy more interceptors for the national missile defense system is welcome news after four years of devastating missile defense cuts by this administration,” Rogers said.
Rogers said the administration four years ago “began to unilaterally disarm our defenses and deterrent in the hope our enemies would follow suit.”
“But hope is not a defense strategy, ”Rogers said in a statement. ”President Obama is finally realizing what President Reagan taught us 30 years ago. The best way to keep the peace is through strength."
The big unknown: Will Kim Jong Un “stand down” until 2017?
Ref: http://freebeacon.com/intercept-and-defend/
