Dear Members and Friends,
Adding to the ramifications of India’s missile test, earlier this week in condemnation of North Korea’s failed ballistic missile launch, the United Nations general assembly applied additional sanctions toward North Korea and the United States withdrew from its obligation to provide 240,000 tons of food aid. North Korea stated that it had unilaterally withdrawn from the agreement with the United States enabling them to proceed with nuclear weapon testing and more launches of their ballistic missile fleet. Their new leader, Kim Jong-Un, made a historically strong public statement in support of the North Korean military in addressing his nation and publicly displayed North Korea’s new 3 stage mobile long-range missile similar in style, theme and propaganda to the old Soviet parades, during the heights of the Cold War where perception meant power.
Both Japan and South Korea have condemned the launched failure and heated up their diplomatic rhetoric. Meanwhile the United States military presence in the region and our State Department are working to de-escalate the situation by ignoring the political and military bravado of North Korea and restraining our allies. Furthermore we are assuring our allies in the region that they will be defended and protected by the United States should an outbreak of North Korean aggression take place. Missile defense plays an absolute critical role in de-escalating this ongoing crisis as a primary element for both the State Department and the Defense Department.
In this game of truth or dare, where the release of bluster is allowed and seen as more effective in preventing conflict than the use of military pre-emption, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles by North Korea is being accepted. As long as our allies feel safe and assured by our United States military capability in the region and their belief in direct involvement of the United States should escalation happen, proliferating will be allowed in the region whether or not North Korea abides by agreements with the United States and United Nation resolutions.
How much more do we need to bolster our limited missile defense capability to assure our allies that are also looking at our nation’s reduced missile defense budgets or do we continue to take the risk and dare of not having enough missile defense systems that we need to defend and protect our nation and allies.
