The U.S. Military Commander in charge of our strategic nuclear deterrent and strategic systems to include missile defense, with the mission to deter any adversary from striking the United States or its allies is Admiral Cecil Haney.
In this significant role of responsibility for the welfare of most of the world, Admiral Haney addressed the media at the Pentagon here in Washington D.C.:
“North Korea claims to have possession of a miniaturized warhead and frequently parades their KN-08 nuclear capable ballistic missile and Iran recently launched a space vehicle that could be used as a long-range strike platform. While strategic deterrence today is underpinned and reinforced by our nuclear capabilities, it is more than nuclear it also includes space; a contested, congested and competitive environment and cyberspace.
As a nation, we cannot afford to underfund out strategic capabilities. Any cuts to the President’s budget including those posed by sequestration will hamper our ability to sustain and modernize our joint military forces and put us at real risk of making our nation less secure and able to address future threats.”
Admiral Haney further stated in response to media questions:
Press: Does North Korea have a nuclear warhead that it can put on a missile at this point?
ADM Haney: They claim they have miniaturized a nuclear warhead, and just that statement is very important and cannot be ignored. At the same time they have demonstrated by launching various associated rockets as well as their space launch vehicle during the time frame here and they paraded this so called intercontinental ballistic missile called the KN-08 around and put that on demonstration as of yet I don’t see any tests yet associated with this miniaturized claim but as a Combatant Commander that we cannot ignore as a country.
Press: How soon could Iran get a nuclear weapon in your estimation?
ADM Haney: I would say first and foremost as we look to deterrents it’s a whole of government problem. I’m not going to get into the work that’s ongoing, that’s too speculator and I will allow the folks on the National Security Council and State Department work that particular problem. I will say that the business of seeing Iran work to work to understand and be able to launch things in space is part of that physics problem and that’s why we have our missile defense system and it’s designed to take on those kinds of threats both from Iran and North Korea. We are continuing to work that system so that it can be ready in time.
Press: Does Iran have missile capable reaching the United States?
ADM Haney: At this point in time, I would say that Iran has worked on their capability, and to this date they’ve only demonstrated their ability to go in space and I’ll leave it at that.
These comments clearly state the strategic threat to the United States and we as a nation, represented by Congress and our President, must ensure our Strategic Command has the resources to secure our future, our freedoms and our way of life.
