I read your article “Mixed emotions over interceptor base in Franklin County” about Maine possibly hosting a “missile defense” base (Aug. 14).
Some of my words in the story were mischaracterized. I was quoted accurately about the fact that Iran has no nukes nor missiles capable of reaching the U.S. North Korea does have a few nukes, but no missiles able to reach our shores. Neither are the threat. It is Russia and China these systems are really aimed at.
Your reporter wrote that I believe the U.S. will attack Russia and China in a first-strike. I didn’t say that. What I actually said was that there are several versions of “missile defense” which the Pentagon is currently testing and deploying (at considerable taxpayer expense). These MD systems are creating the capability that “would allow” the U.S. to launch such an attack against them.
In fact, the industry publication Aviation Week & Space Technology has reported about the annual Space Command war game where they practice an attack against Russia and China. MD is the shield that is used to pick off any retaliatory strikes after an initial U.S. first-strike.
The Pentagon is surrounding Russia and China with ground-based and sea-based MD interceptors. Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and Russia or China were establishing bases in Mexico and Canada and putting interceptors on ships off our coasts.
Remember what President Eisenhower told the nation as he left office, “Beware of the power of the military industrial complex.”
Bruce K. Gagnon, coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, Brunswick
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