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WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki
Ellison, President and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org
<http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/> went on record today praising President
Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on their decision to build
and complete 14 additional ground-based interceptor silos in Alaska. His
comments on this significant national decision are as follows:
"It is with great respect to the Department of
Defense and to the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, that their decision to
only field half of the Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) silos in Missile Field 2
at Fort Greely, Alaska, has been reversed, as the Department of Defense will
now fully construct, complete and field all of the 14 silos in Missile Field 2.
This decision by the Secretary of Defense is sound, cost-effective for the U.S.
tax payers and a forward risk reduction position for our nation and our public
for their security against threats of long-range ballistic missiles. The United
States can now have the capability and capacity to deploy 44 Ground-Based
Interceptors (GBIs) in 44 silos. This is a significant decision that will allow
our nation to have a 'hedge' and lower the risk to our national security if in
the future Iran, North Korea or other rouge nation states choose to threaten
the United States with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMS)."
"With this decision, the current long-range
ballistic missile defense for all of our nation, including Hawaii and Alaska,
will have (20) silos in Missile Field 3, (14) Silos in Missile Field 2, (6)
Silos in Missile Field 1 in Fort Greely, Alaska and (4) silos in Vandenberg
AFB, California for a total of (44) silos. However, the 6 silos in Missile
Field 1 in Fort Greely are still scheduled to be 'moth balled' once missile
field 2 is constructed and in full operation."
"The Administration is standing firm on deploying 30
GBI's for our nation's protection but clearly has the opportunity to increase
those numbers up to 44 if the threat becomes more apparent. A decision is still
being decided by the Department of Defense whether or not to field all of the
silos in missile field 2 in Fort Greely, Alaska with Ground-Based Interceptors.
We encourage and support a decision to fully deploy the 14 missiles in missile
field 2, as deploying the GBIs in the newest silos would lower cost, reduce
risk and hold higher confidence for those that command and man the missile
defense system."
"We applaud and appreciate the rational thinking
done by the President, the Department of Defense, the National Security Council
and the current Administration to complete missile field 2 in Fort Greely. We
also extend our gratitude to the support given by the leadership from
Democratic Senator Mark Begich of Alaska and his colleagues for bringing the
decision on Missile Field 2 for reconsideration to the Secretary of Defense,
Robert Gates. MDAA has been at the forefront of this issue and had the honor
and privilege of visiting Fort Greely, Alaska this past September to view the
missile fields."
Ellison closed his comments saying: "This
significant and definitive decision by the Secretary of Defense and the
President to reassess the current world and future threats to our national
security and homeland is a leap forward from what it was earlier for the
protection of the American public from long range missiles."
Riki Ellison has been to visit the missile fields in
Alaska. A photo of the visit is on the web site at www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org
<http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/>
Media who desire an interview of Ellison should call
Barbara Maxwell at 703 299-0061 SOURCE Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
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