Retired Brass Urge Delay in Antimissile Shield

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=6&u=/nm/20040326/ts_nm/arms_missile_usa_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of 49 retired U.S. generals and admirals is urging President Bush (news - web sites) to postpone the scheduled deployment this year of a multibillion dollar missile shield and spend the money instead on securing potential terror targets.



In a letter to be released at a news conference Friday, the officers, including retired Admiral William Crowe, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1985 to 1989, described the complex technology as untested and a poor use of scarce defense dollars.


"As you have said, Mr. President, our highest priority is to prevent terrorists from acquiring and employing weapons of mass destruction," said the letter made available to Reuters.


As the "militarily responsible course of action," the signers urged funds earmarked for missile defense go instead to bolster nuclear weapons depots and protect U.S. ports and borders against terrorists.

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[MSgt213]

1. I hope nobody thinks an antimissile shield will work in the first place

[tabasco]

6. You got that right.

Nothing more than a corporate enrichment program. That's what makes me think it will never be cancelled. Bush's #1 priority is taking money from the taxpayers and giving it to the elite supporters of his cabal.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Coming from all sides now, on a daily basis --

Is it possible we can take this country back?

[mouse7]

3. The week the drips finally became a torrent

1) Clarke
2) the WoMD joke
3) Medicare Bill fraud and bribery
4) WTO forces US to accept wide open online sportbooks and casinos
5) The entire Pentagon brass corps says Star Wars sucks. Spend budget on anti-terrorism.

WOW!

[MSgt213]

4. You know doing the cold war both sides were prevent from attacking because

the other side could respond ensuring mutual destruction. That was a theory that was never tested. If the Soviet Union had launched nuclear missiles at us there was no assurance we could have responded. I know about the bunkers and all that crap we spent a lot of money on. We would expend a lot of money on this too, but the real test would come only if someone decided to launch a real attack and there is no assurances it would work.

[0007]

5. Many Generals and wise men told telling junior not to evade Iraq

Did it do any good?

junior should be put under house arrest or emitted to a mental hospital.

[truthspeaker]

7. I'm trying to imagine what would happen

if I used my employer's money to buy and start installing a computer system that didn't work yet. "Oh, it's spiral development," I'd say. "We'll start installing it now while the research continues."

I'd get fired. Fast.

[Ganja Ninja]

10. Spiral Development! If that isn't straight out of the mouth of Rummy

then I don't know my known knowns from my unknown unknowns.

[yltlatl]

8. But....

our president takes terrorism very seriously!! It's his top priority!! He would have used all the resources and assets of this great nation to protect us if he had only known that terrorists would attack us!!

PLEASE...

Nice post, truthspeaker.

[dixielib]

9. When are we going to realize

that we are fighting men living in caves, not generals with their fingers on red buttons?