Pentagon Sees Iranian 'Ashura' Missile As Worrying Development

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

Iran's announcement that it has developed the 1,200-mile range Ashura ballistic missile is being viewed with some concern by the Pentagon.

Although the Defense Department has long been projecting Iranian ballistic missiles to achieve that range, it was expected to be through upgrades of the long-known Shahab-3. However, the Ashura is "different," says U.S. Missile Defense Agency director Air Force Lt. Gen. Trey Obering. "That's what surprised us," he said.

Moreover, Obering notes that the Ashura's emergence indicates how much work Iran is putting into improving its ballistic missile defense capability.

Obering was here in Paris once again trying to make the case for a European site for the ground-based midcourse defense system. He noted that the Iranian effort underscores the need to proceed.

Read more: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3936604&page=1

[xchrom]

1. who spends more on their military budget? -- the U.S. or iran?

why does the most powerful military in the world constantly worry about second rate military powers?

[Parche]

2. I Just Hope They Dont Start Making These

http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat/archive/images/soldier,-little-plane-iraq--thumb.jpg

The unmanned radio controlled airplane that they scared us with :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :hi:

[lovuian]

3. Iran can shoot back when Iraq couldn't

different story

[Warpy]

4. Yeah, and that's worrisome to us exactly HOW?

Oh, yeah, Israel. Well, Iran has not directly attacked Israel in the past 60 years, even though at several times it has had the motive and means to do so.

In fact, I don't see them as an expansionist country since the days of Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire, one that didn't last long, if memory serves, the Persians learning the cost of Empire very quickly.

I would imagine this is just another way to tell the west, especially Israel, to back the hell off and leave them alone because this time they will retaliate.

This is a defensive weapon. I wish our own military would become one of defense instead of one of hired muscle for multinational corporations. We can't afford them.

[heliarc]

7. Yes, but Israel HAS attacked other nation states

Like Lebanon. Iranian missile defense might make their willingness to bomb Syria, or cross the Lebanese border less of an option. That's what the US Military and NeoCons fear. They fear reciprocity, and it means that our military or the Israeli military can't just do anything it wants in the region. It's arrogant and entirely imperialist a position for the US to escalate violence in the Middle East by invading countries and then just ask everybody to accept it. If the Iranians had a Carrier group in the Hudson Bay, we'd be up in arms... well get ready, because we've had our fists up the butts of Iran's waters for years now and they are building submarines with ranges that can comb our shores. I can't say that it isn't the expected response from a nation with any self-respect at all.

[mlevans]

5. The thing that gets me...

they keep saying that it's "unacceptable" for Iran to have nuclear weapons. How is it any more acceptable for the U.S. to have nuclear weapons? Isn't Bush at least as crazy as Ahmadinejad?

[dysfunctional press]

9. it's unacceptable to israel...and we're their bitch.

so- it's unacceptable to us.

[SpiralHawk]

6. Hell, republicon darling Oliver North GAVE Iran our freaking Hawk missiles

as part of the traitorous Iran-Contra drug and weapons republicon scumbaggery.

No republicons seemed concerned about that giveaway then, they couldn't stop falling all over themselves to salute the traitorous North.

So why do the republicons have their knickers in a bunch now about this missile?

Republicons = hypocricy.

[Adsos Letter]

8. Interesting...

...all that money for intelligence gathering...all those press-releases assuring us they know what Iran is up to, nuclear-wise...

And Iran "surprises" us with a completely unexpected missile development...

Interesting.

[Jacobin]

10. Very worrisome. And Iran knows that

if they fire a weapon at an ally of the United States, that Iran is bullet proof, they have an impenetrable missile shield, can't be counter-attacked.....uh, oh, wait........nevermind

[SpikeTss]

11. This increase in military spending is proof for fascist tendencies

For what else if not wars of aggression does a government spend so much money on killing machines?



If somebody finds sarcasm in this posting he can keep it :-/