Colext/Macondo Cantina virtual de los COLombianos en el EXTerior -------------------------------------------------- Donald Rumsfeld, whose hawkish plans for defending US satellites are likely to provoke controversy abroad http://www.thetimes.co.uk/picture/0,,8541,00.jpg GEORGE W. BUSH's hawkish choice to run the Pentagon has declared that he will make defence of America's assets in space a priority, a path that could lead to technology being developed to attack and defend satellites in orbit. Donald Rumsfeld's support for protecting US satellites is in addition to his enthusiasm for building a system of national missile defence. Indeed, the two aims are closely linked and could provoke controversy abroad over a militarily expansionist America. In Washington, the sweep of Mr Rumsfeld's plans has some worried that the Bush Administration could begin an arms race in space, while others are convinced that such protection is long overdue.Members of the Armed Forces see an opportunity for expanding work they have already undertaken, much of in secret, to perfect chemical lasers as weapons for destroying hostile aircraft, missiles or satellites. Mr Rumsfeld served as Defence Secretary under President Ford in the 1970s and critics say that he is locked into a Cold War mentality. His supporters, most notably Mr Bush, believe that his planning is perfectly suited to a world threatened by such missile-building "rogue" states as North Korea and the increasing risk that weapons of mass destruction could fall into the hands of terrorists. -------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with UNSUBSCRIBE COLEXT as the BODY of the message. Un archivo de colext puede encontrarse en: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ cortesia de Anibal Monsalve Salazar
