OT: CIA RELEASES REPORT ON USA'S VULNERABILITY TO MISSILE ATTACKS

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CIA RELEASES REPORT ON USA'S VULNERABILITY TO MISSILE ATTACKS

It is the first time the spy agency has released a declassified version of a top-secret national intelligence estimate prepared for the White House... Developing...

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-- a (a@a.a), September 09, 1999

Answers

CIA: Emerging missile forces could kill millions in USA

WASHINGTON (AP) - North Korea and Iran are likely to join established nuclear powers Russia and China as long-range missile threats to the United States over the next 15 years, the CIA said today. These emerging missile forces ``potentially can kill tens of thousands, or even millions, of Americans, depending on the type of warhead, the accuracy and the intended target,'' the intelligence agency said. In an intelligence report with major implications for the Pentagon's efforts to develop defenses against ballistic missiles, the CIA said Iraq posed an additional - though somewhat more distant - threat. It said it was questionable whether Iraq could test a missile with enough range to reach the United States before 2015, although the likelihood depends heavily on how much foreign assistance Iraq gets. The report characterized the prospect of North Korea acquiring a long-range missile by 2015 as ``most likely,'' Iran's prospect was judged to be ``probable'' and Iraq was labeled a ``possible'' threat. Russia has long posed a major nuclear threat to the United States, although Washington and Moscow are attempting to implement a second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to greatly reduce the size of their arsenals. Defense Secretary William Cohen is traveling to Moscow next week to discuss the prospects for going even further in nuclear weapons cuts, and to discuss future missile defenses. ``The Russian threat, although significantly reduced, will continue to be the most robust and lethal, considerably more so than that posed by China, and orders of magnitude more than that potentially posed by other nations,'' the CIA report said. It said China, which now has about 20 long-range nuclear missiles, is likely to increase its arsenal by ``a few tens'' of missiles, including some with warheads ``influenced'' in part by U.S. technology gained through espionage. The report is a summary of a classified National Intelligence Estimate, the first the CIA has done on ballistic missile threats since 1995. In an October 1998 update of its assessment, the CIA told Congress that the United States was facing a growing threat from the spread of ballistic missiles.

-- a (a@a.a), September 09, 1999.


Excellent news. Great for the economy. China gives Bill bucks. We turn our backs while they take our nuke secrets. We "aide" Russia with money later laundered through Bank of New York so they can use it for more important stuff than food.. like weapons to aim at us and sell/give to Iran. Ditto North Korea. Then the CIA (aren't their reports supposed to be secret?) lets us in on the secret that we are at risk.. so congresscritters vote to approve a bundle of defense projects to deal with the threat. Ain't the global economy grand?

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), September 09, 1999.

China and the US have important, long-term interests together. Just because they have a little bit of blustery, anti-western rhetoric doesn't mean we're going to end up shooting at each other again.

China is in a state of gradual but certain change. The more we interfere and antagonize, the more it becomes change for the worse. Not to commend BC for his alleged excesses, but really, I hardly think their government has as much pull here as you say it does. Most likely its the other way around..

-- coprolith (coprolith@rocketship.com), September 09, 1999.


coprolith - "I hardly think their government has as much pull here as you say it does. Most likely its the other way around.."

What "other way around"? Do you mean government might be controlled by big business? Who ever would've thunk it?

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), September 10, 1999.


Coprolith, if I have been reading correct information funneled to this very forum, then how do you account for the fact that (1) they got our secrets from Clinton? (2) a Hong Kong firm with tight mainland Communist ties got to run the Panama Canal? (3) they are opting for a railroad from there up to Canada? (4) Clinton is trying to get them a port in California? (5) they have so many immigrants in Canada? If this doesn't scare you, and all of us, I don't know what will. We've had some excellent threads here lately on China's intent, and their means to achieve it, from their own mouths. Let's not drop our alert, and let's explore this further as time goes on. I'd like to know how Americans can thwart this infiltration.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), September 10, 1999.


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