Lawrence Martin on space-based warfare: "The Globe's Lawrence Martin has a decent piece on the policy context of the recent Chinese anti-satellite missile test.

While offering the Chinese no defence for their provocative action, Martin points out that the current US administration's allergy to multilateralism is also partly to blame for the current dangerous state of affairs:

Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney showed no interest in a space treaty. Their national space policy is essentially hegemony in the heavens. They oppose the development of new legal regimes or other measures that restrict their designs. A UN resolution to prevent an arms race in space was supported by 151 countries with zero opposed. The U.S. abstained. It wants strategic control.
As indeed, the current US administration does.

That said, I can't let Martin's description of Canada's position pass without comment:
In the last election, the Paul Martin government campaigned vigorously against the weaponization of space, pledging to lead a worldwide effort opposing it. To date, the Harper government, while less vocal, is opposed to NMD [National Missile Defence].
True on both counts, but it's worth pointing out that both Liberal and Conservative governments have continued a Canadian policy of ever-increasing militarization of space, even while denouncing weaponization as beyond the pale.

In truth, the 'big red line' between militarization and weaponization Liberal Bill Graham used to talk about when he thought BMD might be a problem is no longer so big and bright as some might like: Canadian satellites are advertised for their ability to gather intelligence on potential military targets, just as the Canadian Forces move to acquire satellite-guided JDAM bombs and Excalibur howitzer rounds.

So just how committed are we Canadians--as we condemn the Chinese--to the purely 'peaceful' use of outer space?

Not as committed as we should be, in my view.

Peace, my friends.

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(Via No BMD, eh?.)

Lawrence Martin on space-based warfare
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