6.14.2006
US Insists on Right to Develop Arms for Outer Space (Reuters.com)
Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:57am ET
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday reasserted its right to develop weapons for use in outer space to protect its military and commercial satellites and ruled out any global negotiations on a new treaty to limit them.
In a speech to the Conference on Disarmament, a senior State Department arms control official insisted that such weapons systems would be purely defensive.
Washington sees no need for negotiations to prevent an arms race in space as a 40-year-old international treaty banning weapons of mass destruction in space remains adequate, he said.
John Mohanco, deputy director of the office of multilateral, nuclear and security affairs, said the United States faced a threat of attacks from the earth or from other countries' spacecraft. He did not name any potential attackers.
"As long as the potential for such attacks remains, our government will continue to consider the possible role that space-related weapons may play in protecting our assets," he told the United Nations-backed forum.
"For our part, the United States does not have any weapons in space, nor do we have plans to build such weapons," he said.
(More ... US insists on right to develop arms for outer space | Reuters.com) ¶ 22:41
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday reasserted its right to develop weapons for use in outer space to protect its military and commercial satellites and ruled out any global negotiations on a new treaty to limit them.
In a speech to the Conference on Disarmament, a senior State Department arms control official insisted that such weapons systems would be purely defensive.
Washington sees no need for negotiations to prevent an arms race in space as a 40-year-old international treaty banning weapons of mass destruction in space remains adequate, he said.
John Mohanco, deputy director of the office of multilateral, nuclear and security affairs, said the United States faced a threat of attacks from the earth or from other countries' spacecraft. He did not name any potential attackers.
"As long as the potential for such attacks remains, our government will continue to consider the possible role that space-related weapons may play in protecting our assets," he told the United Nations-backed forum.
"For our part, the United States does not have any weapons in space, nor do we have plans to build such weapons," he said.
(More ... US insists on right to develop arms for outer space | Reuters.com) ¶ 22:41
