I just saw a a Lou Dobbs’ program news story which stated that head injuries make up 65% of the total in Iraq and Afghanistan. A doctor whose son is in the war zone stated that the Marines said they could not afford the better, more protective helmet lining which is available. Yet, the pentagon will ask for big bucks this year for a pre-emptive strike missile which all of us know will lead to American men and women in yet another theatre of war–with cheap helmets.
Pentagon Seeks Nonnuclear Tip for Sub Missiles
WASHINGTON, May 28 — The Pentagon is pressing Congress to approve the development of a new weapon that would enable the United States to carry out nonnuclear missile strikes against distant targets within an hour.
The proposal has set off a complex debate about whether this program for strengthening the military’s conventional capacity could increase the risks of accidental nuclear confrontation.
The Pentagon plan calls for deploying a new nonnuclear warhead atop the submarine-launched Trident II missile that could be used to attack terrorist camps, enemy missile sites, suspected caches of biological, chemical or nuclear weapons and other potentially urgent threats, military officials say.
If fielded, it would be the only nonnuclear weapon designed for rapid strikes against targets thousands of miles away and would add to the United States’ options when considering a pre-emptive attack.
Gen. James E. Cartwright, the chief of the United States Strategic Command, said the system would enhance the Pentagon’s ability to “pre-empt conventionally” and precisely while limiting the “collateral damage.” The program would cost an estimated half a billion dollars over five years, and the Pentagon is seeking $127 million in its current spending request to Congress to begin work.
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