Iran Builds Up Defenses
What is Iran up to? Apparently the “rogue” state is working behind the scenes to build up its missile defense capabilities on all fronts.
The Associated Press reports that Iran is building up its air defense systems out of concern for our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Israel’s possible retaliation against its nuclear facilities. General Ahmad Mighani reportedly announced that a new military branch was “split off” from Iran’s air force to focus on air space threats. This military rearrangement “centralizes decision-making in the air defense system and boosts the country’s readiness,” said parliament member Mohammad Esmaeil Kowsari.
How will President Barack Obama react? Although he’s somewhat lukewarm over building agreed-upon missile defense shields in Central Europe, we hope he’ll be alarmed by Iran’s covert build-up programs, including any and all nuclear facilities that may be discovered developing weapons.
Speaking of the president, despite our country’s rationale for wanting to build the shields in Poland and the Czech Republic—to discourage Iran and North Korea from developing long-range ballistic missiles—the Obama administration may use the plans as a “bargaining chip” in negotiations with Russia. (Source)
U.S. State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said the U.S. has been “talking with Russia about missile defense for a period of 10 years and we are heartened that our message is being well-received in Moscow and the Russian government.”
James F. Collins, director of Russia studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former ambassador to Moscow, said he believes the Central European shields are “on the back burner,” even though they’re deemed necessary to defend against possible long-range ballistic missile launches from the Middle East.
Tags: Barack Obama, Czech Republic, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Poland, Russia