Friday, May 29, 2009

Palin to Obama: Restore Missile Defense Funding

Governor Sarah Palin urged President Obama today to stand firm against North Korea and to defend US territory and America's allies on the Korean peninsula.

The North Koreans launched their sixth short-range missile since Monday’s nuclear test, and the communist dictatorship said that it will no longer be bound by the terms of the armistice which ended the Korean War in 1953.

The governor called on President Obama to restore the $1.4 billion that he cut from the budget of the Missile Defense Agency:
"The United Nations sanctions have failed to stop North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons, and the Obama Administration cannot afford to be playing catch-up to an irrational dictator like Kim Jong-Il," said Governor Palin. "Missile Defense Agency funding must be fully restored in the federal budget to guarantee our protective measures remain the best in the world. Fort Greely plays a crucial role in the nation’s security."
The news release from the governor's office continued:
Alaska is home to the largest ground-based mid-course defense missile shield in North America. Because of its geographical position and proximity to potential targets, Alaska plays a critical role in national security and in the defense of American allies.

Ground missile defense is the cornerstone of the Missile Defense Agency’s multi-layered architecture. It is designed to detect, track, discriminate, intercept and destroy long- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during the mid-course phase of flight. The weapons system consists of land-, sea- and space-based sensors, command and control operations, and silo-based interceptors that are located at Vandenberg AFB, California and Fort Greely.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates will visit Alaska Monday, and Sen. Mark Begich will take him on a tour of the same missile defense site in Fort Greely that he has cut funding for. If Gov. Palin, Sen. Murkowski and Rep. Young join the tour, Gates should really get an earful about his and the president's short-sightedness.

Update: ADN's report is here.

- JP

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