Iran has perfected the technology to create and detonate a nuclear warhead. The only thing delaying the rogue state from building a nuclear bomb is the approval to move forward from the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. If the Ayatollah Khamenei gives his approval, the Iranians could have a nuclear weapon as early as next year. It would take six months to enrich enough uranium for the nuclear bomb and another six months to assemble the warhead, according to The London Times.
Missile Defense News
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Fate of Missile Shield Bases Unknown |
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North Korea: Master Of Mayhem |
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Israel Tests Barak Missile Defense System |
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Is North Korea Ready To Talk? |
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Gates In Israel On Iran |
This latest development makes it clear that the Iranians are improving their nuclear weapons capabilities at an alarming rate. Iran already has the ability to strike Israel and parts of Europe, including NATO allies Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, with a ballistic missile.
The report of Iran's nuclear capabilities comes six months after President Obama and Defense Secretary Gates called for cuts to the defense budget, including a $1.2 billion slash to missile defense programs-- the very weapons systems needed to protect America and its allies from a long-range ballistic missile attack.
While the Obama Administration cuts funding for missile defense at home, the President is also negotiating away strategic missile defense systems overseas. Earlier this month, President Obama agreed to a preliminary framework for a treaty to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russian President Medvedev. In these negotiations, President Medvedev called on the U.S. to abandon the third site in Europe. The third site missile defense system includes 10 interceptors in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic to protect our allies in Europe against the growing Iranian missile threat. This missile defense system would also protect the United States from the Iranian threat.
Iran's recent actions, coupled with the 17 missile tests conducted by North Korea since February, should serve as a wake-up call to the Obama Administration. The truth is brutal-- a missile launched from Iran, North Korea or anywhere else in the world would hit the U.S. target it was programmed to destroy in 33 minutes or less.
THE WORLD NEEDS A MULTI-LAYERED MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM
The President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Clifford May, argues that missile defense is the best way to stop rogue states and terrorist organizations from pursuing ballistic missile technology. In a New York Times Letter to the Editor, he writes:
"Neither rogue regimes nor extremist groups would have much use for nuclear-armed missiles if the United States were to develop a comprehensive, multilayered missile defense system. The technology to do this already exists.
"The administration should . . . fully put in place the means to make missiles useless to aggressors."
SUCCESSFUL MISSILE INTERCEPTOR TEST BY U.S. NAVY
The United States Navy successfully tested a sea-based component of its missile defense shield last week. The Aegis SM-3 was launched from the USS Hopper off the coast of Hawaii and intercepted a ballistic missile with a dummy warhead over the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said.
The intercept took place over 100 miles above the earth and the total time elapsed from launch to shoot down was less than five minutes, according to the U.S. military. The Aegis missile defense system has successfully completed 19 of 23 intercepts, and this is the 15th successful intercept for the updated SM-3 missile.
The USS Lake Erie and the USS O'Kane provided tracking and communications support for the missile test. There are 18 Aegis vessels in the United States Navy, 16 in the Pacific and two in the Atlantic. The American Aegis system is also used by Japan and Korea.
Watch The Video Of The Missile Test Here.
33 Minutes in Minneapolis-St. Paul!
Join former Senator Jim Talent (R-MO), Distinguished Fellow in Government Relations, and Dr. Kim Holmes, Vice President of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies and Director of The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, for a panel discussion following the film.
August 20, 2009
The Science Museum of Minnesota
120 West Kellogg Boulevard
St. Paul, MN
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Schedule of Events:
6:00 pm - Reception
7:00 pm - 33 Minutes Screening
8:00 pm - Panel Discussion on 33 Minutes and Missile Defense
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