Monday, July 30, 2001

Interviews Available:

News of Star Wars Deception

* Fudged Test for "Missile Defense"

* Offensive "Space Bomber"

PRESTON J. TRUMAN, hermit@downwinders.org, http://www.downwinders.org Director of the Downwinders organization, Truman said today: "This past weekend seemed almost deja vu. We found out that the much-touted July 14 test was rigged, with the target basically having a beacon on it saying 'hit me.' Tests involving the X-ray laser during the 1980s were similarly dubious. It's also reminiscent of the public relations extravaganza of the Patriot missile during the Gulf War.... The Pentagon is conducting a witch hunt against an MIT scientist, Theodore Postol, who has been critical of the Star Wars program. Many of the critics during the 1980s were harassed for speaking out, accused of security violations and so on.... To fully test the 'Space Bomber,' and other weaponry, the Pentagon will have to make sure that each and every component will survive nuclear conditions -- that means nuclear tests in Nevada, which explains why the administration wants to break the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty." Truman has worked with thousands of Americans who, like himself, have dealt with the aftermath of fallout from nuclear explosions in Nevada.

ALICE SLATER, aslater@gracelinks.org, http://www.gracelinks.org President of the Global Resource Action Center for the Environment, Slater said today: "The Los Angeles Times report on the 'Space Bomber' provides further evidence that the U.S. seeks to dominate and control space by military means. This is also confirmed in the Rumsfeld Space Commission report of January 2001, which urges 'the option to deploy weapons in space to ensure that the U.S. remains the leading space-faring nation.' It's a total misnomer to talk about missile 'defense' -- this technology is the platform for the offensive weaponization of space. The U.S. Space Command 'Vision 2020' report outlines the weaponization of space, envisioning that 'space forces will emerge to protect military and commercial national interests and investment.' This is an extension of 500 years of colonial domination of the world's resources. Just as navies have controlled the seas, we're building this huge military to back up corporate interests for access to the world's resources instead of creating sustainable systems at home."

BRUCE GAGNON, globalnet@mindspring.com, http://www.space4peace.org International coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, Gagnon said today: "Reports on the Pentagon's plans to build a 'Space Bomber,' which would be able to destroy targets on the other side of the world in half an hour, indicate the beginning of the weaponization of space. This whole missile defense program is ultimately a Trojan horse. Pentagon officials understand that they can't come before the American people and say, 'Give us hundreds of billions of dollars so that we can have offensive weapons in space.' So they dress it up in sheep's clothing and pretend that it's defensive. In 'Vision for 2020' and other military documents, the Pentagon outlines that it wants to 'control and dominate' space and 'deny other countries access to space.' We are poised to create a new arms race in space that will make the aerospace corporations richer than one could imagine and will violate the ABM Treaty and Outer Space Treaty."

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:

Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167