The National Missile Defense and the militarization of space.

With the collaboration of : Noam Chomsky

Institute Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massimo ZucchettiDepartment of Energy – Turin Polytechnic – Committee of Scientists Against War

- an in-depth look at the “ space shield” - an in-depth look at the “space shield”

The project The project “ Space “ Space Shield”Shield”,, wanted by wanted by the United States, the United States, has recently become has recently become popular again, with popular again, with the request to install the request to install part of the equipment part of the equipment in some countries in in some countries in eastern Europe eastern Europe (missiles in Poland (missiles in Poland and radar in the and radar in the Czech Republic).Czech Republic).

It’s a project that has It’s a project that has been developed in been developed in secretsecret and which and which puts puts all of us in all of us in dangerdanger..

The project allows for the interception in flight of ballistic missiles launched towards the USA’s territory by Iran or other “ rogue states”

The forerunner of this The forerunner of this project was the notorious project was the notorious SDI (Strategic Defense SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative) of Ronald Initiative) of Ronald Reagan, otherwise known Reagan, otherwise known

as as “Star Wars”“Star Wars”..

Many people are opposed to the space shield project, for these reasons:

It’s a useless project

It is impossible to build an armaments system that has a reasonably high probability of destroying ballistic missiles before they can strike their targets.

On the other hand, neither Iran nor North Korea have the technology to produce missiles capable of reaching the United States or Europe.

It’s a dangerous project

It will inevitably lead all the states that are already in possession of nuclear weapons to increase their number and their lethality, so as to guarantee the statistical certainty of inflicting relevant damage to their adversary, even if a part of the missile (however big or small) is destroyed before reaching its objective.

For example, Russia and China, which regard this project as an explicit provocation, presumably will, following the installation of the space shield, put even more destructive nuclear missiles into position – which is practically an appeal to set off a nuclear war, for no other reason than because of an accident: which could be “normal” in such a complex system.

In the past we arrived very close to verifying “normal accidents”. With the less sophisticated systems that the Chinese and the Russians will put in position in space, the risk of destruction will increase.

Its real objective is the militarization of space. It concerns arranging lethal systems of arms in space: nuclear arms stations that can strike any point on the planet in a few minutes.

It’s a very sophisticated technology which not only makes it possible to control military bases, but also to control the daily lives of every citizen.

It’s dividing Europe

This project involves the security of the whole of Europe but the United States has only made bilateral agreements with the governments of two EU countries. They haven’t informed either the European Parliament, nor their allies in Nato. The European Parliament has never discussed this question.

In fact this projectcounterposes Europe to Russia, both militarily and commercially.

Besides, the project of the space shield does not directly involve only the Czech Republic and Poland, where American want to build new bases, in the European Union. Already in 2003 the United States made an agreement with Great Britain and in 2007 with Italy.

But these US projects are not limited to Europe; this project is spreading over the whole world, including India and Japan, for example, which in 2003 announced the purchase of a sophisticated anti-missile system from the USA, with an agreement of cooperation for $11 billion signed in 2004, involving national industry in its realization. In 2006 the contract with the USA was reinforced further to share the respective technological advances.

In the Czech Republic a nonviolent movement of

protest has been born. In this country 70% of the population is against

this project, (a referendum promoted by the Mayors

of the towns in the area involved in the installation of the shield showed that

90% of the population was opposed), but despite this the Czech government

is going ahead with the agreements with the

Americans.

After the hunger strike by the humanists Jan Tamas and Jan Bednar, a hunger strike in relay is continuing every day: by scientists, artists, members of parliament, senators,

sports personalities, journalists, mayors...

“This nonviolent protest movement is spreading throughout Europe and is collaborating with the Worldwide March for Peace and Nonviolence”

Jan Tamas

www.theworldmarch.org

The “US system of missile defense" is making Europe and the entire world an unstable place which is gradually being militarized, and is continually more insecure, and is putting at risk peace, justice, human rights and sovereignty.

Luisa Morgantini – Vice-President of the European Parliament

I welcome your initiative to draw attention of the European public to the danger of return of Nuclear threat to the European soil. It is important to remain vigilant and actively resist any plans of making Europe once again hostage to the fear and prejudice characteristic of the Cold War.

Mikhail Gorbachev

At a time of global crisis, in which millions of human beings lack the means to feed themselves, it is irresponsible to spend hundreds of billions of dollars for war and the production of new weapons.

In such a difficult time in world history, it must become the responsibility of every courageous person to do everything possible to prevent a possible nuclear war.

Giorgio Schultze Europe for Peace

“When I hear the slogan “Give peace a chance” at my age, thinking of my grand-children, I desperately want them to be able to have a world in which they can survive. And that will happen only in one way: if we know how to give peace a chance, but make sure that the chance is realized.

The people of the world overwhelmingly want peace ...and overwhelmingly oppose the war-like actions of their leaders. It's always been true. It's up to us to see whether we can bring the hope to fruition”.

Noam Chomsky

Give peace a chance!

Give peace a chance!

www.europeforpeace.eu

www.theworldmarch.org

www.nonviolence.cz

Bibliography:

N. Chomsky - so called missile defense is an offensive weapon (2008). http://www.europeforpeace.eu/video-detail.php?id=1027&country=

G. Chiesa: missile defense has divided Europe. (2008) http://www.europeforpeace.eu/video-detail.php?id=1030&country=

G. Schultze: Campaign against the NMD. (2008)http://www.giorgioschultze.eu/index.php?lang=ita&secc=news&acc=id&idnoti=60&fontsize=1

Various authors: video “Star Wars” (2007) http://www.europeforpeace.eu/video-detail.php?id=965&country=

J. Tamas: NMD, difence or attack? (2008) Czech

A.Baracca: Peace is worth a shield (2009) Italianhttp://www.europeforpeace.eu/documents.php?country=it

V.F. Polcaro, M. Zucchetti, “The “National Missile Defense” and the militarisation of space”,Giano, 57 (2007) 65-79. M. Zucchetti, conference at the Humanist Forum, Milan 2008http://staff.polito.it/massimo.zucchetti/Polcaro_%20Zucchetti_Scudo_Spaziale_MILANO.pdf

The National Missile Defense and the militarization of space