Page 41 - The Lord's Vengeance Of His Temple2018-05

WATCH THE KING OF THE NORTH

NATO's missile defence shield considered The daily news of the world's
most powerful alliance.
'up and running'
From Jonathan Marcus, the BBC: Nato
Jorge Benitez | May 25, 2012 leaders and planners look at Iran's con-
tinuing nuclear programme - and the
steady improvement it has made to the
range and capabilities of its missile
forces - and are convinced that missile
defence is, at the very least, a prudent
insurance policy.

The initial defensive screen being un-
veiled by Nato this weekend rests up-
on: a network of US early-warning sat-
ellites; a new high-powered X-Band
radar based in Turkey; and at least one
Aegis-equipped US warship, deployed
in the Mediterranean, capable of shoot-
ing down an incoming ballistic missile.
Some of Nato's European members will
offer elements of their existing air de-
fences - Patriot missiles in Germany
and the Netherlands for example - to
bolster the system. Over time Nato's
missile shield will expand with more
anti-missile warships. Two land-based
missile defence sites are also planned -
first in Romania, and later in Poland.

Dmitri Trenin, Director of the Carne-
gie Center in Moscow is one of Rus-
sia's most acute strategic observers.
"Russia," he says, "sees US ballistic
missile defence plans as global in
scope". The concern, he believes, is
that "strategic defence impacts upon
strategic offence; devaluing the deter-
rent value of Russia's own nuclear
arsenal."
Dmitri Trenin shares this concern. He
says Russian threats are aimed "at
waking the European publics to the
dangers inherent in Nato's missile
defence plans if no agreement with
Russia is reached".

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