The Obama administration is shelving a controversial arms control initiative that would ban destructive tests of anti-satellite weapons following opposition from the Pentagon over concerns the ban would limit U.S. space activities, according to defense and congressional officials.
The arms control plan, first disclosed by theWashington Free Beacon last month, was confirmed by Rose Gottemoeller, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, during a House subcommittee hearing last week. Gottemoeller said interagency talks were held on pursuing an agreement that would impose a moratorium on destructive testing of anti-satellite weapons.
“We have looked at the option as perhaps a diplomatic option that we would like to pursue, but we are not placing any emphasis on it at this time,” Gottemoeller said in response to questions from Rep. Doug Lamborn, (R., Colo.).
A) I thought there already was an international moratorium on ASAT tests due to space junk concerns and damages caused by orbital debris.
B) The only country on earth conducting these tests has been and likely will continue to be China
so
C) This is not being scrapped to appease the Pentagon -it is being scrapped either to appease China, or because the administration does not want China publicly refusing to sign on -which would show the whole world uncontrovertibly what pusillanimous paper tigers infest the highest echelons of this sad government.