On to Iran!

[Rev9Volts]

The terror next time





By Frank J. Gaffney Jr.





Statements out of North Korea and Iran last week confront the United States and other freedom-loving nations with a frightening prospect: Two of the world's most dangerous regimes are determined to wield nuclear weapons.

North Korea's claim to have "nukes" followed an Iranian mullahocracy announcement nothing will prevent its achieving nuclear goals. Should we worry? The short answer: Absolutely.

After all, the state policy of these two governments is hatred of America. Nuclear weapons in the hands of megalomanical tyrannies animated by this hatred and armed with ballistic missiles poses a unique " and intolerable " threat.















The danger is not simply the prospect one or more rogue states' nuclear weapons could be used to destroy an American city " or perhaps an allied capital in the Middle East or Europe. Such an attack could be conducted by other means, with more prosaic means of delivery such as trucks, ships or aircraft.

A blue-ribbon, congressionally mandated commission recently described an altogether different sort of nuclear attack, one made possible by the detonation high above the United States of a ballistic missile-delivered weapon. The panel was charged with "assessing the threat to the United States from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack."

It concluded the EMP effects of such an attack at 40 to 400 miles above this country could so severely disrupt, both directly and indirectly, electronics and electrical systems as to create a "damage level ... sufficient to be catastrophic to the nation." Worse, the commission concluded "our current vulnerability invites attack."

The EMP Threat Commission recommends urgent steps taken to reduce that vulnerability by protecting electrical, water, telecommunications and other infrastructures against crippling by electromagnetic pulse. The same needs to be done with our military, also woefully unprepared for EMP attack.

Failure to take such steps could mean a single North Korean or Iranian missile, possibly launched from a ship off the U.S. coast, could instantly transform this country from an advanced 21st century to an 18th-century society. It is hard to imagine a more devastating form of terror than that entailed in the dislocation, hardship and destruction that would accompany an America returned to a pre-industrial state " but with its population crowded into cities that could not function and with a military unable to protect us or to maintain order.

We are very acutely vulnerable to EMP attack because we largely stopped worrying about it 13 years ago. In 1992, the United States adopted a moratorium on nuclear testing, thus precluding the most rigorous and reliable way to determine electronic systems' susceptibility to electromagnetic effects.

Forgoing such has also been very deleterious to our nuclear deterrent. For example, we no longer can be certain the weapons in our arsenal will work as they should. We are reduced to relying on what amounts to informed scientific guesswork based on computer simulations. Guesses are no substitute for certainty in such life-and-death matters.

One thing is certain: Our stockpile is not as safe and reliable as we could make it. Without realistic testing, we can only make changes in the components or designs of existing weapons at the risk of degrading our confidence they will work.

Moreover, we are unable to introduce new designs better suited to countering threats posed by the likes of Iran and North Korea than are the hugely destructive weapons developed more than 20 years ago to counter targets in the Soviet Union.

Worst of all, these costs have been incurred for no good reason. Neither North Korea nor Iran have, as far as we know, conducted nuclear tests on their way to joining the "nuclear club." Consequently, it is now indisputable that the United States' forswearing underground testing has not had the promised effect " impeding proliferation.

In an important analysis published recently by the Center for Security Policy, retired Navy Vice Adm. Robert Monroe, a former director of the Defense Nuclear Agency, argues persuasively that to have any hope of preventing proliferation in the future, the United States must maintain a credible nuclear deterrent " and undertake the associated testing, developmental and industrial actions.

Finally, notwithstanding the latest setback in testing the nation's preliminary anti-missile defense system, the perfecting and fielding of such capabilities must continue " and be expanded to include sea-, air- and space-based assets.

An EMP threat is hardly the only reason to ensure ballistic missiles cannot be used to harm this country, but it is particularly compelling.

In the end, only regime change in Iran and North Korea is likely to diminish the threat from these nations. We had better do everything possible to encourage such an outcome.

Meanwhile, it would be irresponsible to invite EMP-induced disaster by remaining unable either to defend against or deter such an attack and its effects.



Frank J. Gaffney Jr. is president of the Center for Security Policy and a columnist for The Washington Times.

[Galmin]

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North Korea's claim to have "nukes" followed an Iranian mullahocracy announcement nothing will prevent its achieving nuclear goals. Should we worry? The short answer: Absolutely.

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Well, the knife runs after another nation to invade since they have or may have nukes. In the meantime, North Korea has stated, for the third time now (perpetually ignored..well they do have bad timing at announcing the existance of their nukes), that they definitely have nukes and noone takes them seriously.



Poor North Korea. No oil, no invasion.

[Rev9Volts]

galmin... yup they would get more freedom a zillion dollars free food but alas no oil no dice....

[DreamTone7]

Have the North Koreans pull a "911" and I think you'd have a different story...a real quick one, to be honest.

Melody and Instruments for the soul...

[Galmin]

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Have the North Koreans pull a "911" and I think you'd have a different story...a real quick one, to be honest.

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Ok! When are we invading Saudi Arabia, then? Time flies!