Militarizing Space: US Plans What Russia and Most Other Countries Oppose

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Longstanding US plans call for waging wars from space.

In 1985, the US Space Command (USSPACECOM) was created.

In December 2018, Trump ordered it be made a unified combatant command for war under the US Strategic Command, saying:

“Pursuant to my authority as the Commander in Chief and under section 161 of title 10, United States Code, and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I direct the establishment, consistent with United States law, of United States Space Command as a functional unified combatant command.”

His order advanced US plans for preemptively waging real time star wars.

Washington refuses to negotiate a treaty with Russia and China that bans weaponization of space.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans nations from placing WMDs (not conventional weapons) in earth orbit or otherwise in outer space.

It restricts use of celestial bodies to peaceful purposes, bans space bases and outer space weapons testing.

The 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty prohibits nuclear testing in outer space.

Established in 1984 to negotiate arms control and disarmament agreements, the UN Conference on Disarmament strongly opposes weaponizing space.

The 1972 ABM Treaty banned testing or deploying weapons in space. The treaty became null and void after Bush/Cheney pulled out in June 2002.

In January 2001, representing overwhelming world community sentiment, the UN General Assembly’s Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space Resolution A/55/32 said the following:

“The exploration and use of outer space shall be for peaceful purposes and be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development,” adding:

“(The) prevention of an arms race in outer space would avert a grave danger for international peace and security.”

Space is the final frontier. Last December, the US Space Force Act established the Pentagon’s Space Force as part of the US Air Force — headed by a chief of space operations.

If the US militarizes space, Russia and China will respond defensively in similar fashion.

Last week, the Trump regime falsely accused Russia of conducting an anti-satellite missile test that’s able to destroy low-earth-orbit satellites in space — no credible evidence presented because there is none.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry debunked the accusation, saying it’s a pretext for the Trump regime to pursue an arms race in space, adding:

“The tests held by the Defense Ministry of Russia on July 15 this year created no threats for other space vehicles and, most importantly, violated no norms or principles of international law.”

“According to the information of our Defense Ministry, the Russian inspector-satellite inspected a Russian space vehicle at a close distance using the small satellite’s specialized equipment.”

“As a result, valuable information on the technical condition of the inspected object was obtained and transmitted to ground-based control systems.”

“We consider (false accusations by the Trump regime) another anti-Russia move, as part of a Washington-initiated purposeful (dis)information campaign for discrediting the Russian space activity and our peaceful initiatives for preventing an arms race in outer space.”

“American and British representatives are again trying to present the situation in a distorted form to distract the attention of the international public from real threats in outer space, justify the steps they are taking to deploy weapons in outer space and secure additional financing for these purposes.”

“Naturally, they keep silent about their own efforts in the field of military space, including the implementation of the programs of possibly involving inspector satellites and repair satellites as anti-satellite means.”

“It is not clear what goal the (Trump regime is) pursuing.”

“We would want to hope that they are not trying in this way to pre-determine the tonality and the results of (a scheduled Russia/US July 27) meeting (on this issue) and (thus) complicate the process of developing a bilateral dialogue on space issues and strategic stability as a whole, which is so important for the entire international community.”

“(I)nitiatives (Moscow is) promoting for preventing the deployment of weapons in outer space…are supported by a majority of UN member states…”

Russia seeks the establishment of a legally binding treaty on the world community of nations that prohibits the deployment of all weapons in space.

It’s committed not to be the first nation to militarize outer space.

“We confirm our readiness for discussing the entire range of space activity problems with the participation of representatives of” other nations, its Foreign Ministry said.

On Friday, Russia’s Defense Ministry called false US and UK accusations about testing a space-based anti-satellite weapon by Russia’s military part of a “targeted (dis)information campaign (to) discredit (legitimate, non-threatening) Russian space activities.”

The phony accusation comes at a time when the US and UK are moving toward militarizing space for warmaking purposes — instead of working cooperatively with Russia, China, and other nations to keep outer space weapons-free.

Because both right wings of the US war party seek dominance over other nations by whatever it takes to achieve their imperial aims, today is the most perilous time in world history.

Nuclear war by accident or design is an ominous possibility.

Instead of going all-out to prevent what could destroy planet earth and all its life forms, bipartisan US policymakers are pursuing their aims with no regard for the potential catastrophic risks.

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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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Articles by: Stephen Lendman

About the author:

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.

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