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Like Aegis and THAAD, the GMD is Earth based and _ down its own satellite in 2008, the US notified Beijing uses kinetic interceptors—stored and fired from _ that any interference with space-based US assets could underground silos—to take out ICBMs in their mid- _ result in a wide range of responses, including the use of course phase when the missile is flying through space __ military force". towards its target, a time of about 20 minutes. An ICBM MissileThreat.com adds: "The Chinese have cited the goes through two other phases: the boost phase, which development of a US airborne laser as partial impetus is right after lift-off and lasts no more than 300 seconds; for the aggressive ASAT test. An airborne laser that can and the terminal phase, lasting a short time at just 30 intercept missiles in their boost phase while they are in seconds when the ICBM re-enters the atmosphere. airspace over the country that launched them is However, during the mid-course phase, the ICBM could considered to be an ‘offensive’ missile defense system release hundreds of decoys. by the Chinese."” Many experts believe that the space decoy is a The Daily Telegraph notes that the most recent cable in undamental downfall of any anti-missile shield. No _ this latest collection of leaks was sent in January 2010 matter how many layers or how powerful your radar, _ by the office of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and rying to discern hundreds of claimed that China had argets in space and pick the aunched a fresh ASAT missile right one or take out dozens at a est. “Crucially, Washington ye mos pve os to ** | Sowhat are the chances ff ya"ied © bene secre’ one reason why the GMD can that a rogue nation fires was linked to China's previous only take out one or two ICBMs, one or two ICBMs at space strikes," it commented.” ired, let's say, by a rogue state. “This test is assessed to have Why would a rogue state, the US or its allies? urthered both Chinese ASAT Very, very small. and ballistic missile defense echnologies,’ stated the memo o the US embassy in Beijing.”™ unless it has a death wish, fire one or two ICBMs at the US or even one of its allies? The return address of any ICBM _ is The cable stressed that the undeniable. And if fired, the US Obama administration retains will come back with utter devastation—no matter who the Bush-era concerns over Chinese plans for space launched it. So what are the chances that a rogue _—_— weapons. nation fires one or two ICBMs at the US or its allies? Watch this space... oo Very, very small. weapons. Watch this space... . About the Author: Gearing up for Space Wars John Lasker is a freelance journalist who was born and Diplomatic cables released to the London Daily taised in Buffalo, New York, and now resides in Telegraph by WikiLeaks and published in early February Columbus, Ohio, USA. His work has been published 2011 confirm that the US and China have been engaged hundreds of times in 50 different newspapers and in a “Star Wars" arms race since January 2007 when magazines, including Wired, Christian Science Monitor, China shot down one of its own satellites (see part Toward Freedom and Fate. He covered the 2008 US one). According to the website MissileThreat.com, the __ presidential election from central Ohio for Agence France- documents confirm that the subsequent US shoot-down Presse. In 2010, he published his first non-fiction book of one of its malfunctioning spy satellites in February Technoir (e-book available from 2008 "was a direct response in kind (really, a _ http://store.theebooksale.com/science-fiction/technoir); demonstration of comparable capability) to the similar this article is based on chapter three of this book. He display of capability by China a little over a year received a grant from the Knight Foundation in 20II to earlier". write about non-combat deaths of US female soldiers. The leaked cable confirms that "{b]efore shooting John Lasker can be emailed at johnlasker@sbcglobal.net. Endnotes 19. Interview with Theresa Hitchens, 27. http://www.cdi.org 14, http://tinyurl.com/6clrbed 2007 28. http:/vww.worldpolicy.org 15. http-//tinyurl.com/64zhdqz ee I : 29. http://tinyurl.com/6ghdésg 16. http://tinyurl.com/5vg8zz6 o lain ofeitayglconiayacaprgpin 30. http://tinyurl.com/34zyyw 22. http://tinyurl.com/3l4q5e 23. http.//tinyurl com/62dp8b5 31. http://tinyurl.com/5tz6ysf 17. Dolman, Everett, Astropolitik: Classical Geopolitics in the Space Age, Frank 94. Interview with Victoria Samson, 32. ibid. Cass Publishers, London and Portland, 9997 33. Daily Telegraph, 2 February 2011, 2002, p. 8 25. http://tinyurl.com/5t4dwyz http://tinyurl.com/6xyucxn 18. http://tinyurl.com/6egb7fy 26. http://tinyurl.com/6fkeqab 34, ibid. JUNE - JULY 2011 NEXUS ¢ I5 So what are the chances that a rogue nation fires one or two ICBMs at the US or its allies? Very, very small. www.nexusmagazine.com