U.S. vows to defend space programs against threats

The Associated PressPublished: December 13, 2006

WASHINGTON: The Bush administration asserted on Wednesday its right to use force against hostile nations or terror groups that use military measures to deny U.S. access to space for peaceful purposes.

"We reserve the right to defend ourselves against hostile attacks and interference with our space assets," Undersecretary of State Robert G. Joseph said in a speech to the George C. Marshall Institute.

Elaborating on a new U.S. space policy adopted by President George W. Bush earlier in the year, Joseph said it does not reflect a hostile approach but rather a call for meaningful cooperation to benefit all people.

But, he said, terrorists and enemy states might view the U.S. space infrastructure as "a highly lucrative target," while sophisticated technologies could improve their ability to interfere with U.S. space systems and services.

Joseph did not identify terror groups or nations that might have such motives. His office said that information was classified.

Space programs, Joseph said, have yielded such medical benefits as the development of kidney dialysis machines and insulin pumps.

"The United States is more dependent upon space than any other nation," he said, and protecting U.S. interests in space is a national security priority.

"No nation, no state-actor, should be under the illusion that the United States will tolerate a denial of our right to the use of space for peaceful purposes," he said.

Apart from natural threats, such as meteors and solar flares, Joseph said other hostile actions, such as jamming satellite links or blinding satellite sensors, are man-made.

And, he said, anti-satellite weapons could permanently destroy a satellite while military force attacking ground relay stations and control systems could make space assets useless.

At the same time, Joseph, the senior arms control official at the State Department, said the United States does not monopolize space or deny access to other nations for peaceful purposes.

He ruled out negotiating a new space agreement, saying the 1967 Outer Space Treaty established an effective arms control regime.

The treaty bans the stationing of weapons of mass destruction in outer space and declares outer space should be used only for peaceful purposes.

"The United States views the purposeful interference with its space systems as an infringement on our rights, just as we would view interference with U.S. naval and commercial vessels in international waters," he said.

He did not name countries or groups that

A new agreement is not necessary, Joseph said. "We should concentrate on real threats," he said, citing those posed by Iran and North Korea.

"There is no arms race in space and we see no signs of one emerging," he said.