Thursday, May 28, 2009

Iran's Missile Launch A Rebuke Of The United States

The test-firing of a new medium-range surface to surface missile in Iran on May 20. Iran's former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezai has warned he could stop Israel with "one strike" and said it would not dare to threaten the Islamic republic if he is elected president. (AFP/File)

From U.S. News And World Report:

The meaning is largely political as Iranian President Ahmadinejad is up for re-election on June 12

The new missile tested by Iran on Wednesday, the Sejil-2, appeared to crash harmlessly into the empty desert of northern Iran after a successful launch. But it could yet claim one casualty: U.S. efforts to improve relations with Iran.

While most Western newspaper headlines emphasized the Sejil-2's range and ability to hit Israel, the missile represents a step along a progression rather than a leap. The Iranians have been able to strike Israel since the 1990s. But the Sejil-2 is more accurate, says Geoffrey Forden, a weapons expert and research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "They've obviously been on a systematic development path," he says.

Read more ....

My Comment: So much for the idea that President Obama's election would change everything.

No comments: