OPINION:
The threat posed by rogue states armed with nuclear ballistic missiles is clearly on the rise. Talks to shut down Iran’s nuclear-weapons program have faltered, and Tehran has now refused to cooperate with U.N. investigators seeking to determine how close it is to detonating a bomb (“U.N. report confirms nuke probe of Iran stalled,” Web, Sept. 5).
The threat from North Korea is, if anything, even starker — the isolated regime has tested three nuclear weapons already and has a fleet of missiles that can reach Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.
The only responsible way to deal with this kind of threat is to build up our missile defenses. The system that defends the U.S. mainland from bases in Alaska and California recently shot down a “threat-representative” missile, defeating advanced countermeasures that critics have long carped could defeat the system. (I guess they were wrong.)
With this latest proof of concept, Congress should be moving forward with adding new interceptors, improving and expanding our sensors and upgrading the system’s hardware to the latest technology.
A strong missile defense is the only way to stand down the world’s nuclear bullies.
JOE BEASLEY
Strategic Missile Squadron
U.S. Air Force (retired)
Atlanta
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