Behind the Satellite Shoot-Down Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:24:42 -0600 (CST) Institute for Public Accuracy 915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045 (202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org ___________________________________________________ Thursday, February 21, 2008 Behind the Satellite Shoot-Down The Times of London reports that the U.S. government's "decision to destroy a defunct spy satellite orbiting Earth by firing a missile into outer space provoked a diplomatic row today, with both China and Russia accusing the U.S. of having carried out a covert weapons test." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3408155.ece The following analysts are available for interviews: ALICE SLATER, (212) 744-2005, cell: (646) 238-9000, aslater@rcn.com, http://www.wagingpeace.org Slater is director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. She said today: "Right now Bush is trampling on the Chinese-Russian U.N. initiative to ban weapons in space. ... We should be demanding of all the candidates that they take a position on banning weapons in space..." STEPHEN YOUNG, syoung@ucsusa.org LAURA GREGO, lgrego@ucsusa.org, http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/space_weapons Young, a senior analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said today: "The public rationale that the satellite shoot-down was done for safety reasons doesn't really hold up to scrutiny." Grego, an astrophysicist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said today: "If the Pentagon demonstrates that its missile defense systems can destroy satellites, it will be very difficult to convince other countries that they shouldn't develop a similar anti-satellite capability. Moreover, concern that the United States has this offensive capability deployed around the world will likely complicate relations with Russia and China." UCS noted in a statement: "Not only has the United States failed to lead efforts to prevent the development, deployment and use of anti-satellite systems, it has for many years opposed international efforts to do so, Grego pointed out. Just last week the Bush administration rejected a draft treaty presented at the U.N. Conference on Disarmament that would ban space weapons and prohibit attacking satellites from the ground or space." http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/us-attempt-to-shoot-down-0098.html Background: The U.S. government document "Vision for 2020" outlines how the U.S. government would "control space" to "dominate" the planet below. See PDF: . For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167 _________________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: public@lists.accuracy.org To be removed from the list, send any message to: public-unsubscribe@lists.accuracy.org For all list information and functions, including changing your subscription mode and options, visit the Web page: http://lists.accuracy.org/lists/info/public