Giving Away the Farm [Obama plans to give missile technology to Russians]

Giving Away the Farm [Obama plans to give missile technology to Russians]
ForeignPolicy.com ^ | JUNE 7, 2011 | BY R. JAMES WOOLSEY, REBECCAH HEINRICHS

Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2012 1:06:47 PM by DBCJR
...President Barack Obama's administration recently threatened to veto the defense budget, citing "serious concerns" over provisions that limit the U.S. missile defense know-how that the White House is permitted to share with Moscow... the Obama administration may simply be willing to hand over this information and, in doing so, weaken U.S. national security...the House of Representatives passed the defense bill. It included the provision that the president's team finds so offensive: Section 1228 requires that no funds can be used to provide the Russian Federation with sensitive U.S. missile defense technology... The Senate debate over New START raised questions about what the Obama administration may have promised Moscow regarding U.S. missile defense plans... In a treaty about reducing offensive weapons... Russians required the Obama administration to include U.S. defenses in the bargain... Congress discovered that the administration has been working on a missile defense agreement with the Russians and that Moscow had requested that the United States share with it loads of sensitive U.S. missile defense technology and operational authority as part of that deal. In the administration's eagerness to please the Kremlin, it may just oblige. The House of Representatives has given a firm "no" to that prospect through its decision to ignore Obama's veto threat and approve the defense appropriations bill by a veto-proof vote of 322 to 96. The Senate may act similarly. On April 14, 39 Republican senators sent a letter to the president expressing their concern over the administration's consideration of granting to the Russians sensitive U.S. technology and "red button" authority to prevent the interception of incoming missiles headed for U.S. troops or allies. This would allow Russia to deny the United States the ability to intercept a missile Washington had determined to be a threat...

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