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International | Anti-WarSpace: America's new war zone
The Bush administration has staked an aggressive new claim to dominate space - rejecting any new treaties that seek to limit the United States' extraterrestrial activities and warning that it will oppose any nations that try to get in its way. A new policy recently signed by President George Bush, asserts that his country has the right to conduct whatever research, development and "other activities" in space that it deems necessary for its own national interests.
The new policy further warns that the US will take those actions necessary to protect its space capabilities "and deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile" to those interests. The document adds: "Space activities have improved life in the United States and around the world, enhancing security, protecting lives and the environment, speeding information flow serving as an engine for economic growth and revolutionising the way people view their world and the cosmos." "Freedom of action in space is as important to the United States as air power and sea power." In some respects the policy represents the space equivalent of the "Bush Doctrine" national security policy initially outlined by Mr Bush in a speech at West Point military academy in June 2002. At that event - and later more formally codified - Mr Bush said the new US policy would place more emphasis on military pre-emption and unilateral actions. Some experts believe the space directive, discreetly published more than a week ago and barely noticed outside specialist circles, puts the US on a new and dangerous course given that it transports "Bush Doctrine" policy to a new arena and rejects any efforts to limit US behaviour. More http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article1902195.ece |
America's key ally in Europe, the UK, stalled the project, holding it up for months by demanding a report by management consultants and disputing the need for the system. Top US military brass at Nato claimed the European venture could interfere with signals used for American defence.
It was only after a host of assurances were given that Washington backed off and the EU went ahead with project Galileo. Late last December the first of a constellation of 30 navigation satellites blasted into space from a launch pad in Kazakhstan.
The US had reservations for two main reasons. It dislikes anything that can be interpreted as an effort to usurp its status as the dominant power in space and the world's only military superpower.
More
http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article1902137.ece
The new document replaces a 1996 space policy. It was approved by Bush on August 31 and was published quietly by the White House on October 6.
"United States national security is critically dependent upon space capabilities, and this dependence will grow," the strategic document says.
"The United States will preserve its rights, capabilities, and freedom of action in space ... and deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to US national interests."
The text also rejects any treaties forbidding space weapons.
"The United States will oppose the development of new legal regimes or other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit US access to or use of space."
No weapons
The US government said the new policy document did not signify moves towards using weapons from space.
"It's not a shift in policy," Tony Snow, White House spokesman, said.
"The notion that you would do defence from space is different than the weaponisation of space."
Nonetheless, the policy document has surprised some.
"While this policy does not explicitly say we are not going to shoot satellites or we are going to put weapons in space, it does, it seems to me, open the door towards that," Theresa Hitchens, director of the Centre for Defence Information, said.
According to Hitchens, this view is confirmed by US army documents that clearly express an interest in space weapons.
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http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3A56CACD-3CDB-4367-A6B7-12081C9AAB48.htm