President Obama's Defense Team Reverses Decision and Completes Missile Defense Fields in Alaska

President Obama's Defense Team Reverses Decision and Completes Missile Defense
Fields in Alaska

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, President and
Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA)
www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org went on record today praising President Barack
Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on their decision to build and
complete 14 additional ground-based interceptor silos in Alaska. His comments
on this significant national decision are as follows:

"It is with great respect to the Department of Defense and to the Secretary of
Defense, Robert Gates, that their decision to only field half of the Ground
Based Interceptor (GBI) silos in Missile Field 2 at Fort Greely, Alaska, has
been reversed, as the Department of Defense will now fully construct, complete
and field all of the 14 silos in Missile Field 2. This decision by the
Secretary of Defense is sound, cost-effective for the U.S. tax payers and a
forward risk reduction position for our nation and our public for their
security against threats of long-range ballistic missiles. The United States
can now have the capability and capacity to deploy 44 Ground-Based
Interceptors (GBIs) in 44 silos. This is a significant decision that will
allow our nation to have a 'hedge' and lower the risk to our national security
if in the future Iran, North Korea or other rouge nation states choose to
threaten the United States with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMS)."

"With this decision, the current long-range ballistic missile defense for all
of our nation, including Hawaii and Alaska, will have (20) silos in Missile
Field 3, (14) Silos in Missile Field 2, (6) Silos in Missile Field 1 in Fort
Greely, Alaska and (4) silos in Vandenberg AFB, California for a total of (44)
silos. However, the 6 silos in Missile Field 1 in Fort Greely are still
scheduled to be 'moth balled' once missile field 2 is constructed and in full
operation."

"The Administration is standing firm on deploying 30 GBI's for our nation's
protection but clearly has the opportunity to increase those numbers up to 44
if the threat becomes more apparent. A decision is still being decided by the
Department of Defense whether or not to field all of the silos in missile
field 2 in Fort Greely, Alaska with Ground-Based Interceptors. We encourage
and support a decision to fully deploy the 14 missiles in missile field 2, as
deploying the GBIs in the newest silos would lower cost, reduce risk and hold
higher confidence for those that command and man the missile defense system."

"We applaud and appreciate the rational thinking done by the President, the
Department of Defense, the National Security Council and the current
Administration to complete missile field 2 in Fort Greely. We also extend our
gratitude to the support given by the leadership from Democratic Senator Mark
Begich of Alaska and his colleagues for bringing the decision on Missile Field
2 for reconsideration to the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. MDAA has been
at the forefront of this issue and had the honor and privilege of visiting
Fort Greely, Alaska this past September to view the missile fields."

Ellison closed his comments saying: "This significant and definitive decision
by the Secretary of Defense and the President to reassess the current world
and future threats to our national security and homeland is a leap forward
from what it was earlier for the protection of the American public from long
range missiles."

Riki Ellison has been to visit the missile fields in Alaska. A photo of the
visit is on the web site at www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org

Media who desire an interview of Ellison should call Barbara Maxwell at 703
299-0061

SOURCE Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance

Barbara Maxwell of Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, +1-703-299-0061