Sarah Palin Wants a Missile Defense System for Alaska

Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:45 pm

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In a statement yesterday about N. Korea’s missile test, Gov. Sarah Palin called for a missile defense system located in Alaska to protect the United States. Was Palin warning us that Alaska could be a target for a N. Korean missile attack?

In a statement Palin said, “I am deeply concerned with North Korea’s development and testing program which has clear potential of impacting Alaska, a sovereign state of the United States, with a potentially nuclear armed warhead,” Governor Palin said. “I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that we continue to develop and perfect the global missile defense network. Alaska’s strategic location and the system in place here have proven invaluable in defending the nation.”

She advocated a missile defense system for her state to help defend the Pacific, “Our early opposition to reduced funding for the Missile Defense Agency is proving to be well-founded during this turbulent time. I continue to support the development and implementation of a defensive missile shield based in Alaska. We are strategically placed to defend the critical assets of the United States and our allies in the Pacific Theater.”

Ok, now Gov. Palin is just being silly. I understand how desperate she is to inflate her role as governor of Alaska to a position of national political significance, but the N. Koreans aren’t targeting America, much less Alaska for an attack. Wouldn’t Japan or S. Korea be a better home for a missile defense system? Of course, my question is assuming that we can devise a missile defense system that actually is effective more than 10%-30% of the time. The truth is that no matter how much the GOP touts missile defense, the current system has only worked in rigged climate and geography neutral testing.

Palin’s statement is a pathetic attempt to put a new spin on the old national security credentials that she claimed to have during the 2008 presidential campaign. I don’t believe that Alaska has ever played a valuable role defending the United States from N. Korea. The whole idea that N. Korea wants to attack the U.S. is a bit of neo-con fantasy. S. Korea and Japan especially should be worried about N. Korea. Republicans like Sarah Palin are only trying to whip up fear, in that hope of winning elections in 2010 and 2012.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association