Prague Monday, November, 10, 2008

Much has been said about the USA NMD („National Missile Defense“) system: a lot of words, a lot of truth, but lots of questions appeared as well. Let’s take a look at some of them together.

Let’s focus at first on the name of this system. Often we hear government officials paid by us – whether the Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vice-Premier for European Affairs, or even the Prime Minister – as they talk about this system as a system of „anti-missile defense“. Those who can speak English at least a little bit know that the correct translation of the name of this system is MISSILE defense not ANTI-MISSILE. Even though it could seem that it is an insignificant difference, the difference is fundamental. Whereas a tobacco lobbyist and Czech government propagated the term „antimissile defense“ which lays stress on the fact that this system is supposed to protect against missiles, it’s true name „missile defense“ only speaks about missiles which are supposed to be launched in defense. The defense is not against missiles, the defense is with missiles. The name doesn’t say what these missiles protect against.

As I have already pointed out the full name is „National Missile Defense“. Despite that fact, many radar supporters – politicians, journalists, soldiers and even scientists – claim that the whole project has allegedly been adopted by NATO („NATOizated“). One such person is for example the head of the Green Party, Mr. Bursík, who regardless of the Green Party program openly supports this system and without hesitation betrays the ideals of the political party over which he presides.  Anyone who followed up on the last NATO summit in Bucharest at least a bit knows that no integration of this system into NATO has happened and that it still remains the initiative of one country: the United States of America. Hence, it still applies that this is purely a national system which has nothing in common with either us or the European Union or NATO.

As we can see then, in our country, there is a twist in the true meaning of two of the three words which constitute the name of this system. And what about the last word which is the most important part of the whole name: „defense“? In order to find an answer, let’s try to ask ourselves the following question: „If this system was an offense system, could the US representatives call it the real name – meaning „National Missile Offense“ – and subsequently ask Canada, Denmark, Czech Republic, Poland, Japan, Hungary or any other country to place elements of this system on their land? And if they did so, would they have any chance to succeed? The answer is certainly clear to every one. Even in the case that this system was intended for offense, it would necessarily be called a purely defensive system – just so it would be possible to carry its financing and consequent spreading throughout the USA and later abroad.

This system falls under the auspices of the Missile Defense Agency which itself falls under the US Ministry of Defense. For completeness‘ sake, I remind you here that what is called US Ministry of Defense today, was named the Ministry of War until 1947. Even here politicians soon understood that with this name the Ministry would not survive in times of peace – therefore it was necessary to change the name. Names change but the goals remain the same.

In order to find out the real purpose of this system and not build merely on presumptions, let’s take a look at what is written in official documents of the US government. In the document, Vision for Year 2020 created by Space Command at the US Ministry of Defense in 1996, on the third page (and later again on pages 8 and 9) there is a clear definition of the goal of Space Command: „US Space Command – dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect US interests and investment.“ There is no doubt then – it is intended to protect US interests and investment around the world.

If someone possibly has doubts whether US National Missile Defense system is part of this vision, he can find a clear answer on page 11 where it is written about so called Global Engagement: „Global Engagement is the application of precision force from, to, and through space. USSPACECOM will have a greatly expanded role as an active warfighter in the years ahead as the combatant command responsible for National Missile Defense (NMD) and space force application. Global Engagement combines global surveillance with the potential for a space-based global precision strike capability.“ As you can read here and even in other texts, the radar in Brdy is supposed to be part of this system, of which one of the main functions is precision strike capability anywhere around the world.

This fact is of no surprise as this is the system which already in 1983 became known, thanks to Ronald Reagan, as „Star Wars“. Even in this case, the uncomfortable name changed over time but the concept has remained. And therefore today, thanks to this concept, there are military satellites, laser cannons ABL (Airborne Laser) placed on Boeing 747 aircraft, radars and anti-missiles in different parts of the world and lots of other components of this system. This all is built as a part of military infrastructure which serves to protect US national interests and investment.

US Space Command was transferred in October 2002 directly under supervision of STRATCOM – United States Strategic Command. It is clear proof that space control is a high priority with US military planners. It is, after all, proven by even other official documents of the US government. In 2006, president Bush accepted a new National Space Policy and there immediately in paragraph 2 we can read: „The United States is committed to the exploration and use of outer space by all nations for peaceful purposes, and for the benefit of all humanity.“ Of course, there is nothing to be said against this sentence. However, the following sentence brings clarity: „Consistent with this principle, „peaceful purposes“ allow U. S. Defense and intelligence-related activities in pursuit of national interests. “ As you can see from this official US government doctrine, if US national interests require it, it will be possible to use any means and it still will be in compliance with „peaceful purposes“. Based on this doctrine, the USA declares itself to be the „space owner“ and claims the right to prevent access into space by whomever is going to be „hostile to US national interests“. Just to finish the picture: this document which fundamentally changes the US approach to space usage was published by the White House on Friday, October 6th, 2006, at 3 PM, followed by a long weekend as Monday October 9th, 2006 was a national holiday. I don’t have to stress that at the time it was already after the closure of most of the press and most of Washington’s politicians and journalists were already on the way home. This episode, I presume, perfectly shows that in the same underhand way in which our (Czech) government approves fundamental documents, the current US administration does the same. Perhaps I don’t have to remind you here about the off-site meeting of our government in Teplice at which, without any previous announcement, they approved two controversial points at once – the agreement about the radar and recognition of Kosovo‘s independence.

As we can see from the document Vision for 2020, from other documents as well as from the words of Pentagon representatives, this system is not defensive. It is an offensive system with the aim to gain control over space and therefore over the Earth as well. The aim of such control is then to protect US national interests and investment.

If anyone is still in doubt about whether this system is defensive or offensive, then the clearest evidence should be given to him: sole usage of this system. Even though Czech media almost didn’t report about this news, the US National Missile Defense system was used on February 20th of this year in a real situation. But – world be surprised – it was not used to bring down a dangerous intercontinental missile launched by a roguish country towards the United States. This system was used to shoot down a spy satellite. Clearly, what is presented as defense was used as offense! This time it was a US satellite but it’s clear that in the same way this system can at any time be used to shoot down an enemy satellite. In a worse alternative it can be used in combination with the first strike – as a safety valve against a reciprocal strike by an attacked country.

This military operation of shooting down the satellite was directed by MDA (Missile Defense Agency) whose director Henry Obering so often visits our country, not because he would like it here but because he wants to achieve locating elements of the military system here. The last time he was lobbying here on October 31 – almost 2 weeks ago – he signed with the first deputy of the Ministry of Defense, Martin Barták, a general contract about strategic cooperation between the USA and the Czech Republic in the area of missile defense. That happened after our government approved the contract at the beginning of October with absolute silence of the media.

During this visit, Henry Obering didn’t forget to bring a bribe in the amount of 600,000 dollars. The media were talking about 600,000 dollars for Czech science but what they didn’t mention was the fact that the money will be used on the development of this dangerous armament system - not scientific research which Czech scientists would be interested in but weapons for the US government! On top of it, it is merely outsourcing from American armament companies, in other words transfer of military commission into a cheaper country. Companies developing this lethal weaponry will increase their profit and on top of it, this move is presented as a contribution to Czech science – an ideal combination from the point of view of interests of the US government and American armories. I trust that Czech scientists will be intelligent enough to see through this trap and refuse to participate in this military research. In the same way I trust that this bribing of militarization-refusing Czechs will face the same failure as the government‘s pro-radar campaign last year, and that Czechs will not break in the same way as they weren’t broken during 20-years presence of the Russian army. Let’s do everything to ensure that this time no foreign soldier enters here – it is always much more difficult to get them out!

Our choice is then clear. Are we going to participate in this military plan of domination of space and the world or are we going to refuse as Canada did in 2005?

Last week American citizens voted the change. Barack Obama brings hope not only for Americans but also for the rest of the world that aggressive expansive foreign politics of the USA is over. Whether this hope will be fulfilled or whether it stays as a mere dream fading away week after week to vanish completely under the pressure of the military-industrial complex, we shall see. However, I wish the new American President to succeed in resisting pressures from strong financial interests and desires for more fat profits at the expense of the life of Iraqis, Afghanis and many others. And also that his post-election promise of „new American leadership“ was not only another promise of top politicians, of which we have already heard so many but which remain only empty words.

Only a day after Obama’s election, in his speech the Russion President Dmitrij Medvedjev clearly showed that Russia understands the real purpose of the newly planned US military bases in Central Europe and it feels threatened. From his words, one feels chills in the spine, since they prove that this plan of the USA throws us into the center of a very dangerous confrontation.

Now it is upon our Parliament to follow Canada and Hungary and clearly refuse this dangerous offensive system. This would remove the risk from us that we would be in the center of a new local or even global conflict.

We will follow the decision being made in Parliament very closely and carefully, and we will not allow the will of the majority of citizens of our country to be ignored even if we have to use civil disobedience.