U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel: U.S. To Bolster Missile Defenses

U.S. To Bolster Missile Defenses To Counter North Korea Threat: Hagel -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced plans on Friday to bolster U.S. missile defenses in response to a growing nuclear threat from North Korea, adding 14 interceptors to a missile defense site in Alaska by 2017 and deploying a radar tracking system in Japan.

The decision to add 14 new anti-missile interceptors at Fort Greely in Alaska amounts to a reversal of an Obama administration decision in 2010 to stop expansion of the missile field there at 30 interceptors. The Bush administration had planned to deploy 44 total interceptors.

Hagel said the decision to deploy all 44 interceptors came as a result of the growing threats from Iran and particularly North Korea, which tested a third nuclear device last month and launched a rocket that put a satellite in orbit in December.

"The reason that we're doing what we're doing ... is to not take any chances, is to stay ahead of the threat," Hagel said.

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More News On Secretary of Defense Hagel Announcing The Building Of Additional Ground Base Missile Interceptors

US Strengthening Missile Defenses Against North Korea, Iran -- Voice of America
U.S. to beef up missile defense against North Korea, Iran -- CNN
U.S. to Bolster Missile Defense to Deter Attack by North Korea -- New York Times
U.S. Boosts Defense From North Korea -- Wall Street Journal
U.S. ramping up missile defense to meet North Korea threat -- CBS/AP
Pentagon to Add Missile Interceptors to Deter North Korea -- Bloomberg Businessweek
US to add missile interceptors in Alaska amid concerns over N Korea -- The Australian/AFP
U.S. beefs up West Coast missile defenses in face of N. Korea threat -- Washington Post
US to deploy more ground-based missile interceptors as North Korea steps up threats -- NBC
US to bolster defences to counter N Korea -- Al Jazeera
U.S. to add missile interceptors to counter North Korean saber-rattling -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News
US to strengthen missile defence in response to North Korea 'provocations' -- The Guardian

My Comment: I found Hagel`s news conference today incoherent, bumbling, and confusing. His announcement that the U.S. will be installing additional missile defense systems in the West Coast is hilarious in view of the fact that President Obama made the decision to limit these programs a few years ago .... no mention from the press on this reversal of course. But even with this threat .... a threat that North Korea is clearly voicing .... I hear Secretary of Defense Hagel stating that he will need to have the approval of the EPA to have four additional ground base interceptors built in order to properly protect the U.S..

EPA approval while an adversary is threatening to launch nuclear missiles at us !?!?!?!

Sighhh ..... Chuck Hagel is not up to this job.