Iran Follows Russia in Threatening New Administration with Ballistic Missiles

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, Chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA, http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/) pointed out today that Iran's test-firing of a long-range ballistic missile is an attempt to intimidate the United States as the transition of Administrations is taking place. His comments are as follows:

"Yesterday, Iran launched a two stage solid fuel ballistic missile with a range of 1,200 miles making U.S. troops, bases, and allies in the Middle East most notably Israel vulnerable to threats, intimidation and influence of Iran and its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This display of provocation intended to engage the new administration under President-elect Obama follows the similar tactics of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev who set a precedent less than a week ago by threatening the deployment of ballistic missiles on its border if the new U.S. administration does not withdrawal from the agreements that would deploy missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic."

"The Iranian ballistic missile proliferation, demonstration and development coupled with their quest for nuclear weapons creates an extremely unstable region that extends beyond the Middle East and into Europe."

"Countries within the region will be forced to react to equalize the status quo and maintain stability. Their limited options are, to rely upon and request American security, match and deter the ballistic missile inventory of Iran, launch pre-emptive military action, or become nuclear."

"Iran's technical development of two stage and solid fuel boosters with its ballistic missiles extends their range and technology today and in the future to influence, deter and threaten Europe and critical U.S. bases stationed in Europe."

"It is clearly apparent for President-elect Obama and his new administration to have flexibility, tools and options to deal with Iran to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East."

The current investment in missile defense capabilities must continue to be developed, tested and deployed from the European third site to the U.S. and regional missile defense assets to ensure security and stability for the Middle East.

"Missile defense will supplement current and future diplomatic and threat reduction efforts as well as give insurance for protection and stability in case of failure of these efforts."

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Bolton to Speak at Executive Forum in Macon and Atlanta on Oct. 7

Former U. S. Ambassador to United Nations John Bolton will be the featured speaker at Mercer University's Executive Forum, presented by BB&T, on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Bolton will give a lunch presentation in Atlanta at The Capital City Club, 7 Harris Street, and a dinner presentation at 6:30 p.m. at The University Center on Mercer’s Macon campus.

Bolton served as United States permanent representative to the United Nations from August 2005 to December 2006. At the U.N., Bolton was an outspoken advocate of U.S. efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, push Syria out of Lebanon and bring African peacekeepers into Somalia. Bolton helped shepherd a major sanction resolution against North Korea through the U.N. Security Council within days of Pyongyang's Oct. 9, 2006, nuclear test. Bolton and France's ambassador led the Security Council to approve a unanimous resolution to end the summer 2006 Hezbollah war on Israel. During his tenure at the United Nations, Bolton was an advocate for human rights. He arranged the Security Council's first deliberations on Burma's human rights abuses. Bolton invited actor George Clooney and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel to brief the Security Council in September 2006 on Arab mass-murder of non-Arabs in Darfur, Sudan. He engineered the Security Council's approval of 22,500 U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur. Bolton pressured Sudan's government to accept these personnel atop the 7,000 African Union soldiers already on site.

Bolton is the author of “Surrender is Not an Option: Defending America at the U.N. and Abroad,” published in 2007.

Prior to his appointment at the U.N., Bolton served as under secretary of state for Arms Control and International Security from May 2001 to May 2005. Previously, Bolton was senior vice president of the American Enterprise Institute, a nonprofit public policy center. Bolton has spent many years of his career in public service. His previous positions in government include: assistant secretary for International Organization Affairs at the Department of State; assistant attorney general, Department of Justice; assistant administrator for Program and Policy Coordination, U.S. Agency for International Development; and general counsel, U.S. Agency for International Development. Bolton is also an attorney. Currently, he is a senior advisor for Kirkland & Ellis LLC with a focus on counseling clients on domestic and international issues in complex corporate litigation.

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