Obama Defense Cuts Pose a Clear and Present Danger to Americans
Common Sense welcomes your comments following the article!
----------
Thanks for rating this article and sharing it with others:
President Obama announced his proposed cuts to the defense budget in a historic briefing from the Pentagon. His shocking budget cuts and new military strategy only serve to reinforce the American decline and pose a clear and present danger to Americans.
While Obama believes that he has created a “nicer” America that has resulted in a safer world, the reality is that we live in a much more dangerous world than even five or ten years ago. The threats are growing – not declining: North Korea, a militarizing China, a potentially nuclear Iran, the real possibility of a dangerous Arab winter, an unstable nuclear Pakistan, an increasingly aggressive Russia, and potential Iranian ties to Venezuela in our own hemisphere.
Take for instance just the case of Iran. Everybody accepts the fact that Iran is on the verge of going nuclear; however, just as concerning – but far less visible – are their advances in missile development.
In an article published November 25, 2010, the German newspaper Die Welt reported that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed a major agreement during Chavez’ visit to Tehran on October 19, 2010. The agreement provides for the establishment of a joint military base in Venezuela and the development of a common medium-range ground-to-ground missile.
The article noted that the reported overall goal of the project was to protect Venezuela from air attacks – remember that Chavez has accused the US of plotting to invade his country numerous times in the past. However, the project would provide both countries with a powerful offensive capability in our own backyard.
Author Clemens Wergin reported that Iran has already contributed tens of millions of dollars for the initial phase of construction and that a group of engineers from Khatam Al-Anbia (the construction arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard) has already visited the Paraguana Peninsula – the reported site of the secret joint project.
The Paraguana Peninsula is only 62 miles from a US military site in Curacao and 75 miles from the Columbian border – our closest South American ally. Even more worrisome is the fact that recent achievements in Iranian missile development also place southern Florida within the potential range of a missile strike from the Paraguana Peninsula in Venezuela.
Just this past week, Iran concluded a 10-day military exercise that included threats to the US to shut-down the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow sea passage through which 40% of the world’s oil flows. During the exercise, Iran tested two new cruise missiles: the shore-to-surface Qader and the surface-to-surface Nour. While these are short-range weapons, Iran also has the Shahab 3 (800-930 miles), Scud-B (175-200 miles), Scud-C (180-430 miles) and Sajjil (1200-1500 miles) missiles which could be housed at the Venezuelan site – creating a modern-day Cuban missile crisis.
Recent Iranian Missile Advances
Iran made a major leap forward in missile development with the introduction of the Sajjil series. Similar to the Ashura and Samen, this Iranian family of two-stage solid-fueled surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) will replace their liquid-fueled Shahab-3B, 3C and 3A ballistic missiles.
Iran successfully test fired the Sajjil-1 for the first time on November 13, 2008. With a range of 1,200 miles, the Sajjil-1 can reach Israel and southeastern Europe. This is especially alarming given President Obama’s decision in September of 2009 to cave to Russian objections and abandon plans to deploy a US missile defense system in Europe – reversing a major Bush administration initiative. The system would have specifically targeted medium-range ballistic missiles like the Sajjil-1 and 2 from… you guessed it… Iran!
On May 20, 2009, Iran successfully test fired the Sajjil-2. In a follow-up test, Iran launched an upgraded version on December 16, 2009. The upgraded Sajjil-2 missiles have a maximum effective range of around 1,500 miles!Iranian Sajjil-2 Missile Test
These solid-fueled missiles are far more accurate than the liquid-fueled missiles that have made up the bulk of Iran’s longer-range arsenal. Furthermore, their solid-fuel enables them to be launched much more quickly and renders them much more difficult to detect when being prepared for launch. The Sajjil missiles have better navigation systems, better targeting systems, more payload capacity, longer range, faster lift-off and incorporate anti-radar materials.
Uzi Rubin, the former director of Israel’s Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, has stated, “Unlike other Iranian missiles, the Sajjil bears no resemblance to any North Korean, Russian, Chinese or Pakistani [missile technology]. It demonstrates a significant leap in Iran’s missile capabilities… [The Sajjil] places Iran in the realm of multi-stage missiles, which means that they are on the way to having intercontinental ballistic missile capability.”
It should be noted that Miami lies only 1,370 miles from the Paraguana Peninsula – well within the range of the Sajjil-2 missile.
While the details of the defense cuts remain to be provided, the Obama defense budget cuts will cripple our military capabilities with around $487 billion in cuts. Furthermore, it involves reducing our troop strength by 10 to 15 percent – meaning tens of thousands of Army and Marine Corps soldiers. It will also mean no longer having the ability to plan for and conduct two wars at the same time – despite the fact that the potential for multiple engagements continues to rise (not fall) in our complex and dangerous world.
What is even more shocking is that President Obama has proposed absolutely zero cuts to entitlements – the real source of our nation’s financial woes. No, his spending cuts come entirely from the defense budget! One has to wonder if we learned anything from 9-11 or the defense cuts that were made after every major military engagement our nation has been involved in.
The defense cuts proposed by Obama would reduce our military spending to less than 4% of GDP – the lowest level since pre-World War II. More than 40 other nations spend more than 4% of their GDP on their military – including North Korea which spends around 40%!
The Obama plan for military strategy and spending cuts will reduce our ability to defend ourselves and our allies to dangerous levels and, as such, represents a clear and present danger to every American. We must not allow these proposals to be implemented!
The 2012 election is not about Solyndra, unemployment numbers or bail-outs – it’s so much bigger than that. Rather, it boils down to a choice between two visions. Do we want a socialized post-Christian America with a degraded military? Or, do we want a restored America – built upon free markets, liberties and the values, morals and principles that made us great… complete with a military capable of rapidly and effectively responding to any threat(s) our dangerous world can throw at us?
There is a stark contrast between the liberal vision of Obama that rejects American exceptionalism and rejoices in our decline and the conservative vision that believes America is and always will be the greatest nation on the face of the earth!
© 2012, Patriot4Ever. All rights reserved.
This post was written by
Patriot4Ever – who has written 112 posts on A Return to Common Sense.
Taking the people's fight to the enemy by exposing liberal fallacies, Washington hypocrisy and political losers! Twitter: @USAPatriot4Ever
Related posts:
Tags: 2012 election, Hugo Chavez, Iran, Israel, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, military spending, missiles, Obama, Paraguana Peninsula, Sajjil, spending cuts, Uzi Rubin, Venezuela
Is anyone going to rein this guy in, I’d like to hear that someone is going to stand up to this out of control communist. be nice to know that not both sides are in on this.