Palin: Missile cuts 'send the wrong message'

In a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin expressed her concerns about his proposed cuts in the Missile Defense Agency's budget:

The Honorable Robert Gates
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I would like to express my deep concern over your proposed budget cuts to the Missile Defense Agency. In these crucial times of rocket design and technology development by North Korea and Iran, I believe the global missile defense shield is more important now than ever.

Critics of this program believe that we are wasting money on a system that does not guarantee success. However, to ensure our security, our freedom, and our American way of life, we must continue to be diligent in developing technology that can expand to protect us from multiple threat targets.

Your announcement of a proposed $1.4 billion reduction of the Missile Defense Agency's budget is not the best decision for today's threat environment. Alaska is committed to supporting continued missile defense implementation at Fort Greely and the development of future technology through our Kodiak Launch Complex, which has access to the Gulf of Alaska Maritime Exercise Area. This unique training space offers a safe and secure location to further develop and test future missile intercept technologies in conjunction with the latest sea-based and land-based radar.

With the strategic location of Alaska in the Pacific Theater, I believe we have the capability, the man power, and the willingness to protect the sovereignty of the United States and can continue to improve the global missile defense shield. Fort Greely's isolated location in Alaska allows for maximum security and development of the country's premier ground-based midcourse missile defense complex.

I am deeply concerned with North Korea's development and testing program. It has the clear potential of impacting Alaska, Hawaii, and possibly the West Coast with a nuclear armed warhead. I can't emphasize enough how important it is that we continue to develop and perfect our global missile defense shield.

Alaska's strategic location and the system currently in place have proven invaluable in defending this great nation. Any cuts to the sole missile defense system for the United States has the potential of sending the wrong message to our adversaries with the unintended consequence of placing our nation at increased risk of offensive missile threats in the future.

Sincerely,

Sarah Palin

Update: Jim Geraghty at NRO's Campaign Spot observes:

It appears Sarah Palin has found a foreign-policy issue and a Washington national-security fight that she can weigh in on regularly.

Indeed, no small thanks to the Obama Administration.

Meanwhile, at DraftPalin2012, Stephen Maloney says:

Gov. Sarah Palin is now leading the national resistance against Barack Obama's policies of socialism and appeasement.

Just wait until the end of the legislative session, when she can devote her full attention to making Obama, Inc. look bad.

-JP