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Heritage Analyst Peter Brookes discusses Iran’s missile launch on Fox News.  Brookes is a Senior Fellow for National Security Affairs and the Chung-Ju Yung Fellow for Policy Studies.

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Heritage Analyst Peter Brooke’s talks about North Korea’s upcoming missile launch on Fox News.  Peter Brookes is a National Security Affairs Senior Fellow and Chung Ju-Yung Fellow for Policy Studies in the Asian Studies Center.

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Peter Brookes of the Heritage Foundation has written an article for Townhall magazine titled, “Missile Defense: Now More Than Ever.” (PDF)

Brookes notes that a mere 10 years ago, there were just six nuclear weapons states. Now there are nine. A generation ago, nine countries had ballistic missiles. In 2009, almost 30 countries possess these weapons. The nuclear weapons increases may seem insignificant, but consider that developing and maintaining our own strong missile defense system “remains a controversial idea.” Unbelievable? You better believe it.

The missile defense system development that began under George Bush has yet to be completed. With a new president in the White House who so far has demonstrated lukewarm support for missile defense, the situation is precarious. Powerhouses like Russia and China have weapons, as well as rogue states like Iran and North Korea. The time to act is now.

An excerpt of the article:

“Among present proliferation problems, Iran may be the worst, due to its enmity toward the United States, sponsorship of terrorism, involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and regional power ambitions.

“Tehran insists its burgeoning nuclear program is for peaceful power generation, designed to augment Iran’s significant oil and natural gas reserves. (Iran has the world’s third-largest oil and second-largest natural gas reserves.)

“But an avalanche of evidence tells a different story. Iran is involved in a nuclear weapons program that may become operational this year, according to a growing chorus of experts, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ supposed nuclear watchdog.”

The article includes sidebars on the history of missile defense (beginning in the 1940s) and how a ballistic missile defense system works. It’s well worth the read. Download the six-page article (PDF).

 
Join Peter Brookes at noon on December 3, at the Heritage Foundation, where he’ll host an event called “Missile Defense in Europe: The Way Forward.”

Experts Sally McNamara, Ilan Berman, and Mario Loyola will discuss the present and future state of missile defense, including the growing threat of Iran and President-Elect Barack Obama’s lukewarm reception to building missile defense shields in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The event will be held in Heritage’s Lehrman Auditorium. See the event page to RSVP.

 
On Thursday, the Heritage Foundation will hold an event titled, Easing Asian Anxiety: Missiles, WMD and Missile Defense. A panel of experts will discuss, among other things, challenges facing the U.S. concerning China’s missile modernization and production.

Host Peter Brookes joins experts like Bruce Klingner, Senior Research Fellow for Northeast Asia at Heritage, and James Carter, Director of the Advanced and International Sea-Based Missile Defense Programs at the Lockheed Martin Corporation, to talk about missile defense and such recent events as the State Department’s decision to remove North Korea from the terrorist sponsors list.

The event is scheduled to run from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Heritage Foundation’s Lehrman Auditorium. You may RSVP here.

 
The Heritage Foundation’s Peter Brookes makes the case that America needs a strong missile defense system and points out that this idea remains controversial, although Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China are producing nuclear weapons.

Brookes notes that more countries are developing nuclear weapons. While the Bush administration’s efforts to develop sea- and land-based missile defense systems are laudable, the development must continue with the next president and Congress. With news of a nuclear smuggling ring and nuclear weapons designs in the hands of our enemies, national security is more important than ever.

Iran probably is “the most troubling” country that is developing a nuclear program, despite its claims of “peaceful power generation.” Iran sponsors terrorism and seeks power in the Middle East, and Russia, which has assisted Iran with a nuclear reactor, has an interest in making sure the balance of world power shifts eastward. Add China to the mix, and the U.S. has cause for serious concern.

No treaty bans the proliferation of ballistic missiles, so the U.S. is wise to take defensive measures to prevent destruction and, possibly, annihilation. These developing Cold War II scenarios around the world are discouraging, but as Brookes notes, every country has a right to self-defense. And self-defense involves building missiles. It’s a sort of Catch-22: the U.S. must develop a strong defensive system to protect itself and to symbolize strength. But developing such a system may send signals to our enemies that we’re on the offensive.

Brookes concludes: “Cold War-like mutually assured destruction or massive retaliation should not be the only options for policymakers.”

I’m reminded of the movie “WarGames.” The computer Joshua observes after playing all scenarios in the game Global Thermonuclear War: “A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?”

 
The Heritage Foundation’s Peter Brookes appeared on FOX News recently to talk about Russia selling its surface-to-air missile system to Iran, despite U.S. opposition to such sales. Iran claims to be acquiring the system to protect itself from an attack by Israel.

We noted earlier that Iran claimed it would retaliate against Israel by deploying Shahab-3 missiles, long-range weapons capable of reaching the country. According to Israel, Iran could have these advanced weapons by the end of the year.

 
On Tuesday, September 16, 2008, the Heritage Foundation will host “The Case for Missile Defense,” moderated by Peter Brookes, Senior Fellow, National Security Affairs, and Chung Ju-Yung Fellow for Policy Studies, Asian Studies Center at Heritage.

The event will be held at Heritage’s Lehrman Auditorium from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. (pictured), founder and president of the Center for Security Policy; Jeff Kueter president of The George C. Marshall Institute; and Ambassador Henry F. Cooper, Chairman of the Board of High Frontier, will read essays written by specialists on national security and foreign policy. In an age of increased concern about missile attacks (Yes, North Korea, Iran, and Russia, we’re talking about you), this event is timely and important.

Mark your calendars and plan on attending “The Case for Missile Defense.” RSVP here.