Scott Cooper, Author at High Frontier

Author Archives: Scott Cooper

August 7, 2013—Whither Goeth the Dog Days of Summer?

by Scott Cooper on August 7, 2013 in Ambassador Henry F. Cooper, EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense

In these “dog days of summer” and with congress out of town, intelligence warnings have provoked an unprecedented closure of our embassies and consulates, associated overseas travel alerts, and presumably preparations to deal with jihadi attacks at home and abroad. These sobering events suggest it is time to reconsider our policies for dealing with jihadi terrorists and protecting the American People at home and abroad against failures of past policies—especially in view of the dysfunctional features of the Federal Government that prevent the common defense called for by the Constitution. Read Full Story

August 2, 2013—Former CIA Director Warns about the Existential EMP Threat.

by Scott Cooper on August 2, 2013 in Aegis, EMP, EMP Coalition, Gulf Coast Defense, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, James Woolsey, Missile Defense, North Korea, Peter Pry, The Shield Act

Last Monday, President Bill Clinton’s Director of Central Intelligence, R. James Woolsey; Dr. Peter Pry, who leads the Task Force on National and Homeland Security; and I joined in a discussion of the existential threat of a natural or nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP). The event, sponsored by the newly established EMP Coalition—of which Mr. Woolsey is the Honorary Co-Chair along with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich—is summarized here, by clicking below. A YouTube video of the 2-hour conference is included. Read Full Story

July 30, 2013—Orwellian Logic on Steroids?

by Scott Cooper on July 29, 2013 in EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Missile Defense

George Orwell, in a classic novel we read in what now seems was a very different land, wrote about how “doublethink” and other devices could confuse and mislead the citizenry, while unsavory powers gain and retain power. We find current examples of how we are being misled, whether ignorantly or by design, into not recognizing threats to our freedoms and our very existence. These methods can become menacing—even to High Frontier—as they are being powered by more and more intrusive applications of modern technology. We must guard our liberty in such times as this—including in identifying existential threats and defending against them. Read Full Story

July 26, 2013—New EMP Coalition . . .

by Scott Cooper on July 26, 2013 in Aegis, EMP, EMP Coalition, Gulf Coast Defense, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, North Korea, The Shield Act

The recently formed EMP Coalition presentations at the National Press Club provided an overview of the existential electromagnetic pulse threat posed by natural and man-made causes and what must be done to counter both threats—with an emphasis on the importance of the Shield Act now being considered in the House for the third congress. Hopefully, it will pass during this third try, as advocated by the bipartisan EMP Caucus and as supported by seven out of ten Americans, according to a recent poll. Read Full Story

July 23, 2013—Time for Churchill’s “V for Victory”?

by Scott Cooper on July 23, 2013 in Aegis, Brilliant Pebbles, Churchill, EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Missile Defense, NRC, Nuclear Reactors, Solar Storms, The Shield Act

Winston Churchill overcame many difficulties—even failures—to speak truth to power in the 1930s, warning about the growing existential threat to Great Britain—indeed all of Western Civilization; and when that truth became sufficiently apparent, to lead the British from apathy to victory in a great world war. His “V for Victory” pose, illustrated above, rallied the people long before victory was sure. A review of some of that history could help us assess our efforts to awaken the powers that be to today’s electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threat and how to counter it—hopefully in time. Read Full Story

July 19, 2013—Southern Exposure . . .

by Scott Cooper on July 19, 2013 in Aegis, EMP, Gulf Coast Defense, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, North Korea

The recent discovery of a North Korean vessel carrying military technology, including rockets and various military components, from Cuba through the Panama Canal illustrates the threats from the South. Whatever the Intelligence Community eventually concludes about the purposes of this trading between Cuba and North Korea, it illustrates the “cacophony of proliferation” that poses a serious threat to the United States from the south—a serious “southern exposure.” Read Full Story

July 16, 2013—Time for Action to Counter EMP!

by Scott Cooper on July 16, 2013 in Aegis, Brilliant Pebbles, EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Missile Defense, NRC, Nuclear Reactors, Solar Storms, The Shield Act

An existential electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threat is posed by a natural event (a massive solar emission that is infrequent but certain to occur—the only question is when) or a manmade event produced by a high altitude nuclear explosion that could be executed by a number of nation states or even terrorists. Recent events suggest a growing appreciation of the seriousness of these threats and possibly the initiation of helpful countermeasures. But will they be in time? Read Full Story

July 12, 2013—About that Ballistic Missile Threat from the South . . .

by Scott Cooper on July 11, 2013 in Aegis, EMP, Gulf Coast Defense, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, North Korea

Assuming that key provisions of the Senate Armed Services Committee recommended National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2014 becomes law, there will be an opportunity for a Report to Congress to address serious gaps in our defenses against nuclear armed ballistic missiles that could attack us from vessels off our coasts -especially from the Gulf of Mexico-and from nuclear armed satellites – especially those that come toward the U.S. from over the South Pole. Hopefully, a thorough examination and appropriate actions will be in time to counter a potential existential threat. Read Full Story

July 8, 2013—Go Navy . . . Be All You Can Be!

by Scott Cooper on July 8, 2013 in Aegis, Brilliant Pebbles, EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Missile Defense

Given last Friday’s Ground Based Interceptor test failure and while that system is being improved, it is now even more important to assure that the Navy’s Aegis BMD system is made fully capable to defend the American homeland against long range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) attack. It can rapidly provide a relatively inexpensive back-up capability—and with relatively inexpensive improvements can become a major adjunct defense of Americans at home as well as our overseas troops, friends and allies. Read Full Story

July 5, 2013—The Most Cost-Effective Defense: Space Based Interceptors!

by Scott Cooper on July 5, 2013 in Aegis, Brilliant Pebbles, EMP, Gulf Coast Defense, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, North Korea, Space Based Defense

Space based interceptors are potentially the most cost-effective way to defend against ballistic missiles of all ranges more than a few hundred miles—and over twenty years ago the technology was sufficiently mature to build such a system within five years of a decision to do so. But the pathway to such cost-effective defenses is blocked by ideological concerns that masquerade behind phony arguments, such as about costs—and contrary to findings 20 years ago that have been forgotten, after the key programs were canceled in 1993. How can we go back to the future? Read Full Story