DAR AL HARB: THREATS FROM IRAN & NORTH KOREA ON THE RISE

US: Iran, NKorea missile threat rising

LONDON, June 29 (IranMania) - The top US missile defense official warned that the ballistic threat from Iran and North Korea was rapidly growing and defended Washington's plans to base parts of its anti-missile shield program in Central Europe, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

But NATO called for more evaluation of the potential danger, saying there was "no assessment of the immediacy of that threat to NATO and Europe."

Washington is in talks with Poland on the deployment of 10 interceptor missiles in the country, and with the Czech Republic on a radar base. The US says the two sites are need to supplement bases in Alaska and California and create a network to defend Europe and North America from a potential attack by Iran or North Korea.

"The missile defense system addresses a real and growing threat. We believe it's prudent to stay ahead of this threat," Patricia Sanders, executive director of the US Missile Defense Agency, said at a hearing at the European Parliament.

She said the planned system was purely defensive, "delivering a package to a point in space where it can destroy a missile."

She did not give details on which country would get ultimate responsibility for firing the interceptors, but said control had to be "centrally located."

Moscow has denounced the plan as a threat to Russia's nuclear deterrent and later came up with a counterproposal for a radar site in Azerbaijan.

...



Pertinent Links:

1) US: Iran, NKorea missile threat rising