Ahrcanum

America has spoken.  The 2008 Presidential Election is over.  Barry Baraq Mohammad Hussein Dunham Stereo Obama, Jr., That One- Barack Obama is going to be the 44th President. http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGx3Kc

What struck me in the news coverage of The Election, were the tears of joy streaming from Jessie Jackson’s eyes.  In the words of many black voters, the dream has been at least partially realized.

While America celebrated, Russia was busy.  President Dmitry Medvedev sent congratulations via a telegram http://en.rian.ru/world/20081105/118142101.html .  While addressing the Federal Assemble Medvedev said, “We have no problems with the American nation, we have no inbred anti-Americanism. We hope our partners, the new United States administration, will make a choice in favor of full-fledged relations with Russia,”  Simultaneously he issued a direct threat with an announcement that he would deploy Iskander missiles to Russia’s Kaliningrad region, as a military response to U.S. plans to deploy missile-defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic, former Soviet satellites that are now NATO members.  He did not say if they would have nuclear warheads.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122588962209001415.html and updated at http://www.air-attack.com/news/news_article/3422.

Obama has promised to cut US defense spending and demilitarize while Russia is modernizing it’s fleet of missiles.  https://ahrcanum.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/obama-demilitarizes-while-russia-modernizes-missiles/  Only last Friday, A ground-based missile successfully intercepted a target missile in a test of the nation’s defense system. http://www.mda.mil/mdalink/html/mdalink.html An intercontinental ballistic missile interceptor blasted out of an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base shortly after 1:15 p.m., and tracked a target missile that had lifted off from the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska. Two operational interceptor missiles are currently based at Vandenberg and there are 11 deployed at Fort Greely, Alaska.  Obama may want to play nicer with Sarah Palin from Alaska.  http://www.ocregister.com/news/missile-defense-interceptor-1854447-target-air

Russia is not alone in the quest for missile leadership. http://missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/ Accuracy of missiles like the Al Hussein, Project 1728, Al Hijara a Road Mobile SRBM- is such that it can only be effectively used against extremely large targets, as it can land as far as two miles away from the intended target. As such, it is useful to strike population centers, large military staging areas and oil fields, but little else.

In Iran, with whom Obama has pledged to sit down with no preconditions, the The Shahab-3 is a medium-range, liquid-propellant, road-mobile ballistic missile.  Nuclear, HE, chemical, or sub munitions, it is ready and operational in Iran.   Its range is sufficient to target Israel, Turkey, the Indian subcontinent, and US forces stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf. The missile’s low accuracy means the missile would probably only be usable to attack civilian populations and has no military application other than simply holding enemy populations hostage.

Obama said, ” If we can responsibly deploy missile defenses that would protect us and our allies we should – but only when the system works. ” http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDgzZTk5YjBjYmNkNDQ2NDhhOGFlNmJhYzJhYmFmODM= President Obama must understand that while not perfect, they are working and others are in development.  One is the Kinetic Energy Interceptor, an agile, high-acceleration system that can get close to launch sites because of its mobility. Another is the Airborne Laser, which will be able to strike lofting missiles above the clouds at the speed of light using a laser from hundreds of miles away. A third program is the Network Centric Airborne Defense Element, an inexpensive modification of the main air-to-air missile carried on U.S. fighters that could be ready to intercept enemy missiles by the end of the next president’s first term in office.  http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Thompson_Files_Missile_defense_realities_999.html

Also on the Election Day, The Bahraini Air Force conducted a joint exercise in missile defense with units from the US Central Command, Bahrain’s official BNA news agency reported on Tuesday.  http://www.spacewar.com/missiledefense.html

Israel celebrated the election by bombing the Gaza Strip. “A four-month ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza was in jeopardy today after Israeli troops killed six Hamas gunmen in a raid into the territory.  Hamas responded by firing a wave of rockets into southern Israel.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/05/israelandthepalestinians

In the Congo, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/congo Rebels led by the renegade Tutsi general Laurent Nkunda clashed with pro-government Mai Mai militia today, threatening a fragile ceasefire around the provincial capital, Goma. The renewed fighting prompted aid groups to suspend efforts to reach ten of thousands of people displaced and starving by previous violence. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/05/congo-aid

What could be worse than Proposition 4, 8, 10,12 or 14?  What is worse than the financial bailouts?  What is worse than reform or taxes?  What could be worse than war?  A nuclear war and  nuclear disaster. 

President George Washington has summed it up, “The foundations of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens, and command the respect of the world.”

Joe Biden and Joe The Plumber can agree on one thing.  President Obama will be, and is being tested even before his inauguration.

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