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| International |
| China and Russia Urge Space Arms Ban |
| 2003-08-01 |
| Via Drudge GENEVA (Reuters) - China and Russia, with the United States clearly in their sights, said Thursday "Star Wars" dangers were growing and called for a quick start to talks on a treaty to ban weapons in space. Dangers? Only to their ability to threaten the U.S. The two powers delivered their plea at a session of the United Nations-backed Conference on Disarmament just over a year after tabling proposals for a pact, to be known as PAROS, that have met with a cold reception from Washington. Um....no "Dire developments augur ill for the issue of PAROS," Chinese disarmament ambassador Hu Xiaodi told the 66-nation forum, declaring that efforts were under way to "control and occupy outer space." "The risk of weaponization of outer space is mounting," he added, in remarks that sources close to his delegation said were aimed at the U.S. National Missile Defense (NMD) system due to start up in September next year. U.S. officials say NMD is purely defensive and intended to protect their country from missiles fired by "rogue states" and terrorists. The system does not envisage deploying weaponry in orbit round the Earth, they say. NMD is promoted by the administration of President Bush as the successor to the mooted program of space-based missile defense, dubbed "Star Wars," championed by then-President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. mooted program? nice shot Rooters! The new system, which would involve firing missiles out of the Earth’s atmosphere from land-based sites, has been criticized by many countries, and by some U.S. scientists. some U.S. Scientists also think we should destroy all our weapons, open the borders, and all will sing kumbaya in a world of sunshine, moonbeams, ponies and baby ducks. Me? I’m a little more cynical than that. I would keep an eye on any country that wishes us to minimize our defensive capability...like our "friend" France Russia’s ambassador, Leonid Skotnikov, told the Geneva disarmament forum Thursday that his country remained firmly committed to banning the deployment of weapons in outer space and wanted a moratorium while a treaty was negotiated. "because we’re so technologically behind it’ll take a while for us to steal the U.S. designs" "We are ready to take on such a commitment immediately as long as the leading space powers join in a moratorium," he said. Skotnikov also called for renewed efforts to relaunch discussion on confidence-building measures on PAROS -- Preventions of an Arms Race in Outer Space -- that have been stalled for almost a decade. Russia, he said, had started to take unilateral action to ensure openness and reduce fears about its own space activities by notifying in advance planned launches of probes, their purpose and their flight paths. "We call on other countries which have space launching capabilities to join us and undertake all necessary measures for building confidence in outer-space activities," Skotnikov added. In the past, Russia has accused the United States directly of obstructing discussion at the conference, which holds three sessions a year, on a new space accord. Proponents of a pact, which include many European and nearly all developing countries, say it is vital to ensure that the 1967 treaty banning weapons of mass destruction in outer space is not undermined. With the U.S. withdrawal last year from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty with the old Soviet Union, they argue there is no reliable legal pact barring countries from using space for military purposes. Remember the woe and tears that would ensue from withdrawal from the ABM treaty and deployment of a defensive system? Think NK remembers it? |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #5 China and Russia just want to stall us while they catch up. Do you think China is going to follow ANY treaty that doesn't serve its immediate interests? Of course it's a load of crock. The correct response to this proposal is the diplomatic equivalent of "Are you on drugs?" But you can't blame 'em for trying. Too bad our media seems to believe everything foreign governments say and nothing that comes from our elected officials. In the media's view, foreigners are inevitably honest brokers whereas US officials are by default morally tainted. Only in America (and the UK, too, I guess)... |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2003-8-1 4:59:34 PM |
| #4 Is it just me or is the yammering of the news media about ABM systems illogical. On one hand we are told that it is too hard or impossible. On the other hand that even trying to develop ABM systems will be a bad thing and will make the Russian and Chinese nervous. Either it won't work (and others will laugh) or it will work (no more nuclear nightmare). Can't have it both ways. |
| Posted by: Chemist 2003-8-1 3:28:48 PM |
| #3 And this is on space.com's site today http://space,com/news/china_dod_030801.html Appearently the Chinese Space Program which is a derivitive of the Military missile programs has as one of it's goals the negation of US superiority in the strategic and tactical uses of space. |
| Posted by: Someone who did NOT vote for William Proxmire 2003-8-1 2:44:05 PM |
| #2 Agreeing to PAROS would be sheer suicide for the United States -- China and Russia just want to stall us while they catch up. Do you think China is going to follow ANY treaty that doesn't serve its immediate interests? How about the Arab League? They're not stupid; eventually they will get out into space. If you think they aren't going to build space-based weapons, think again! It's a no-brainer; even Al Gore, who is not exactly a hawk, was in favor of space- based defense |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2003-8-1 1:45:36 PM |
| #1 Russia’s ambassador, Leonid Skotnikov, told the Geneva disarmament forum Thursday that his country remained firmly committed to banning the deployment of weapons in outer space and wanted a moratorium while a treaty was negotiated. ("because we’re so technologically behind it’ll take a while for us to steal the U.S. designs") "We are ready to take on such a commitment immediately as long as the leading space powers join in a moratorium," he said. Since they can't afford to put anybody up in Mir anymore, and China has no space program, I guess they mean us, huh? That huge group of "leading space powers" that consists of one... Oh, wait - I forgot the Japanese space program, but that's mostly launching sats. ESA? Hah! |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-8-1 1:45:31 PM |