Thursday 16 July 2015 - 14:09
Story Code : 172249
Iran deal exposes anti-Russia motive for US missile defense - activist
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The nuclear deal reached betweenIran and the P5 + 1 nations removes the key US argument fordeploying ballistic missile defense systems inEurope, prominent global anti-nuclear campaigner Dr. Helen Caldicott told Sputnik.
The vacuous and fallacious rationale fordeploying US missile defense systems [across Europe] now falls ina shattering heap, Caldicott said.
Caldicott was founding president ofPhysicians forSocial Responsibility, the co-winner ofthe 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. The Smithsonian Institution has named her one ofthe most influential women ofthe 20th century.
Caldicott said the Europe-wide deployment ofadvanced US weapons already included missile defense systems inPoland and Romania, plus Aegis ships equipped withMD [missile defense] systems inthe Baltic and the Mediterranean plus a missile-defense radar inTurkey.
In every case, Washingtons publically-stated justification forthe deployments was toprotect its European allies againsta possible nuclear missile attack fromIran, she pointed out.
[These US anti-ballistic missile systems] were said tobe deployed againstany aggressive moves byIran, Caldicott said.
However now that the Iranian agreement has atlast come about, what reason will the great USA now give forall this aggressive technology? she asked.
Caldicott argued that the refusal ofthe administration ofPresident Barack Obama toremove its anti-ballistic missile systems fromEurope followingthe new agreement withIran revealed the reason behindthe deployments.
This real, underlying motive forputting the missile defense interceptors and radars inplace, she said, was US preparation foran eventual nuclear war againstRussia.
Lets be frank, it is aboutencircling Russia so that the US can fight and win a nuclear war againstRussia which is its official policy, Caldicott noted. It is all extremely dangerous, provocative and stupid.
Caldicott, an Australian physician, has been one ofthe worlds leading anti-nuclear activists formore than40 years. She is also the founder and leader ofthe Helen Caldicott Foundation fora Nuclear Free-Future and the author ofmany books including If You Love This Planet and The New Nuclear Danger: George W. Bushs Military Industrial Complex.
Caldicott is also author and editor ofthe widely acclaimed book Crisis Without End: The Medical and Ecological Consequences ofthe Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe.
Previously, Caldicott had told Sputnik that the military establishments inthe United States and Russia have been practicing nuclear war exercises like little boys ina sandbox.
She has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin forshowing restraint inthe face ofcontinued moves bythe United States and NATO topressure and isolate Moscow.
By Sputnik
# Tags
