Hearing Of The House Armed Services Committee- Hearing On President Obama's New Plan For Missile Defenses In Europe And The Implications For International Security

Press Release

"Good morning. The Committee meets today to receive testimony on President Obama's new plan for missile defenses in Europe and the implications for international security.

"Joining us today is a formidable panel of witnesses: General James Cartwright, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Honorable Michèle Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; the Honorable Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; and Lieutenant General Patrick O'Reilly, Director of the Missile Defense Agency.

"We thank each of you for appearing before the committee today. I particularly want to welcome our former colleague, Ellen Tauscher, and wish her the best in her first appearance before this committee in new role on the other side of the dais.

"Two weeks ago, President Obama announced that he had accepted the unanimous recommendations of Defense Secretary Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to restructure the plan for missile defense in Europe. He said: ‘our new missile defense architecture in Europe will provide stronger, smarter, and swifter defenses of American forces and American allies.'

"I must say, the new plan sounds familiar. It sounds very much like it came from the bipartisan direction provided by Congress:

"In 2006, the National Defense Authorization Act established a policy of the United States to accord priority to developing, testing, and fielding near-term effective missile defense systems, including Aegis BMD with its Standard Missile-3 interceptor, THAAD, and Patriot PAC-3 system.

"In our bill two years ago, we made it the policy of the United States to develop, test, and deploy effective missile defenses for our forward-based forces, our allies, and our homeland against the threat posed by Iran's existing and potential ballistic missiles.

"Last year, we told the Department to buy more SM-3s and THAAD interceptors to defend against short- and medium-range missiles.

"That, in a nutshell, is what the President and Secretary Gates announced two weeks ago.

"In my view, the new plan is comprehensive and flexible -- designed to counter the most immediate threats posed by Iran first, and more quickly protect our allies and forward deployed troops in the region than previously planned.

And, notably, it contains important hedges, so, if our intelligence estimates are wrong, we will be in a position to fortify the defense of Europe and our homeland.

"We know that Iran is deploying significant numbers of short-range missiles more quickly than we had previously expected, and deploying some medium-range systems such as the Shahab-3 that can reach Israel. Also, Iran is developing medium and intermediate range missiles that can reach Europe.

"We have a moral responsibility to more rapidly deploy defenses that can protect our NATO allies and our forward deployed forces in places like Aviano Airbase in Italy against this growing threat.

"On the other hand, Iran's ability to field an ICBM that can reach the United States is still in the future according to our intelligence professionals, maybe as far away as 2020.

"That said, we know that intelligence estimates can be wrong. For that reason, I am pleased that the plan continues the testing of the two-stage GMD interceptor that would have been deployed in Poland under the previous plan.

"And the Administration plans to continue negotiating with the Poles and the Czechs to reach cooperative agreements to base missile defense systems in those nations.

"Finally, before turning to my Ranking Member and our witnesses, let me make just a few comments about how this new plan might affect our relations with Russia.

"While I find it unlikely that calculations concerning our relations with Russia played no part in this decision, I am hopeful, as Secretary Gates wrote in the New York Times, that, ‘if Russia's leaders embrace this plan, then that will be an unexpected -- and welcome -- change of policy on their part.'

"It will be an additional benefit if the new plan opens the door to cooperation with Russia on missile defense. Russia cooperation could send a powerful signal to Iran, a point of great importance on the day when negotiations are to begin with Iran.

"So, a key question for our witnesses this morning is whether the Russians will support this new approach, and whether this decision will help create a united front in negotiations with Iran?

"Before calling on our distinguished panel of witnesses, let me recognize, my friend, the Ranking Member, Mr. McKeon of California.

"I am told that the order of testimony today will be Secretary Flournoy, followed by General O'Reilly, General Cartwright, and finally, Secretary Tauscher. I want to thank you all again for joining us today.

Source