AP: U.S. Criticizes China Over Missile Test

[Eugene]

Associated Press
U.S. Criticizes China Over Missile Test
Associated Press 01.18.07, 11:29 AM ET

The United States criticized China on Thursday for conducting an anti-satellite
weapons test in which an old Chinese weather satellite was destroyed by a
ballistic missile.

"The United States believes China's development and testing of such weapons
is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both countries aspire to
in the civil space area," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe
said. "We and other countries have expressed our concern to the Chinese."

U.S. intelligence agencies believe China conducted the test on Jan. 11.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/01/18/ap3340014.html

...but doesn't the U.S. have an active space weapons program itself?

[Tempest]

1. U.S. to Militarize Space

Supremacy in outer space will be critical to 21st-century warfare, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld suggested yesterday, as he unveiled sweeping changes to his country's military structure that may boost development of futuristic orbiting weapons.

<snip>

Mr. Rumsfeld, who first served as defence secretary a quarter-century ago under former president Gerald Ford, is widely regarded as a hawk on the militarization of space, and has suggested that war in space, or at least the stationing of weapons there, is inevitable.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0509-04.htm


If nothing else, the administration is hypocritical.

[daleo]

2. The PNAC document is full of this stuff too

They are definitely hypocritical.

[LynnTheDem]

3. Ya just can't make this hypocritical shit up.

Ya just can't.

[BayCityProgressive]

4. They would be STUPID NOT TO DEVELOPE THIS!

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both countries aspire to

in the civil space area

Yeah?

Don't I remember something about a long-time weapons systems specialist being appointed to head OUR civil space agency?

Anyone who thinks we don't already have weapons platforms in space is deluding himself.

[0007]

6. What in the fuck do we approve of?

[Eugene]

7. AP: Three nations join China test protest

Posted on Fri, Jan. 19, 2007

Three nations join China test protest
CHISAKI WATANABE
Associated Press

TOKYO - Britain, Japan and Australia joined the United States on Friday in voicing
concern about the rising militarization of space after China successfully carried
out a test of an anti-satellite weapon.

But Russia expressed skepticism about the Jan. 11 test, in which an old Chinese
weather satellite was destroyed by a ballistic missile.

In Beijing, meanwhile, a foreign ministry spokesman said Friday he was unaware
of such a test. The spokesman, Liu Jianchao, added that China was against the
militarization of space.

In Washington, Gordin Johndroe said the United States had expressed its concern
to China.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/16498523.htm

[bemildred]

8. Liars all.

If you put military assets in space, you better expect them to be shot at. They have been told for years that all that stuff up there will be the first to go in a real war ...

[MilesColtrane]

9. Time for Space Race II

Let's get ready to RUMMMMBBBBLE!!
Here comes the Hostility in the Periphery, the Attack in the Zodiac!

China's just trying to remind the world that they can take down what the US can put up. So SDI and Rods of God escalation is a huge waste of time and money.

BushCo's™ not content just to destroy the Earth. They've got to make it so that no one else can escape through the cloud of lasers, particle beam weapons, and floating debris.