Category Archives: Iran

June 24, 2014—What did they know and when did they know it?

by Scott Cooper on June 23, 2014 in EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Iraq, Missile Defense

As I watch the expanding tangled web in the Middle East drift toward including a soon to be nuclear-armed Shia Iran to help counter the al Qaeda off-shoot Sunni Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), I can’t help but note that America is drifting into an untenable situation that could end our way of life. These sworn enemies of each other agree on at least one thing—they hate Americans and would kill us all if they could. Soon they may be able to—and still we dawdle, refusing to harden the electric grid upon which our way of life depends. Who should be held accountable? Read Full Story

June 19, 2014—Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave!

by Scott Cooper on June 19, 2014 in EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Iraq, Missile Defense

The quote “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive” refers to how complicated life becomes when people lie. It originally referred to a love triangle in the 1808 play “Marmion,” written by Sir Walter Scott. It applies in spades to previous and current policies of the Obama administration, especially those ineptly dealing with existential threats posed by the explosive conditions in the Middle East and East Asia. So, will we pay attention or find ourselves entangled and captured by the web? Read Full Story

May 8, 2014—Diplomacy to Counter FOBS!

by Scott Cooper on May 8, 2014 in FOBS, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, North Korea

We have opportunities for diplomatic initiatives to benefit the United States and our allies while defending against fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS) attacks from North Korea and Iran. Such initiatives should be easily attached to agreements for defense cooperation, as evidenced by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the Philippines and discussions in Abu Dhabi—both of which set the stage for rapid follow through to end our total FOBS vulnerability and cooperate on regional defenses for our allies as well. Read Full Story

April 27, 2014 – Pivot Agenda Item: Defeat FOBS!

by Scott Cooper on April 28, 2014 in Aegis, EMP, FOBS, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, North Korea

On his trip to the Pacific Rim, President Obama should set the stage for almost immediately ending America’s current vulnerability to the existential electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threat posed by North Korea’s Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) capability. Beyond unilateral measures—the U.S. could deploy a TPY-2 radar in the Philippines to help defend them from North Korea and to empower our Aegis ships in the Pacific and our ground-based interceptors in California to shoot down a FOBS attack before it reaches U.S. Territory. Read Full Story

April 17, 2014—Defeat Iran’s FOBS!

by Scott Cooper on April 17, 2014 in Aegis, EMP, FOBS, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, North Korea

Iran, like North Korea, has demonstrated an ability to launch nuclear weapons into low earth orbit over the South Polar regions. Last year, they launched a monkey into space in such a trajectory, reportedly in a 4400 pound capsule that could easily carry a conventionally designed nuclear weapon into orbit. If they launched a much lighter “EMP” nuclear weapon possibly in the North Korean inventory, they could achieve substantially higher orbits. (Detonation of either weapon over the U.S. could lead to the death of several hundred million Americans within a year.) These facts, coupled with geographic realities, make defending against an Iranian FOBS more difficult than is the case for North Korea. And the Iranian Mullahs may be more inclined to attack “the Great Satan” than is North Korea’s Dear Leader. We can and should quickly end our vulnerability to both emerging if not existing threats. Read Full Story

March 25, 2014—Put the Stars Back Into Star Wars!

by Scott Cooper on March 25, 2014 in EMP, GPALS, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, North Korea, Space Defense

To deal more effectively with today’s threats, we should return to President Ronald Reagan’s vision made explicit in his March 23, 1983 speech that launched the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The “powers that be” should revive technology programs aimed at developing space-based defenses, the most cost-effective way to defend against a full gamut of ballistic missile threats, including those that pose an existential electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threat. Read Full Story

March 18, 2014—Build Better Defenses, Now!

by Scott Cooper on March 18, 2014 in Crimea, EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, Russia, Ukraine

The Russian Bear on the prowl in Ukraine presents sobering global implications of a growing threat that could escalate even to place American equities at risk at home. We need both effective diplomatic and military responses—including an increased emphasis and funding for effective ballistic missile defenses for our friends and allies near the Bear and for Americans at home. Read Full Story

March 12, 2014—Still a Dangerous World . . .

by Scott Cooper on March 12, 2014 in EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, Russia

“I think that cutting the defense budget in significant ways right now is a serious mistake. You know, when we’ve cut the budget before—at the end of the Cold War, at the end of Vietnam and at other times, it’s been because we thought the world was going to be a safer place . . . at least we thought so temporarily at the time. No one can make that case right now. You look at the situation in Ukraine and our relationships with Russia. You look at the tensions between China and Japan and in the South China Sea. You look at Iran and North Korea. These guys are operating on the 20th century model of nation states, boundaries matter, strategic interests matter, zero sum game, I win, you lose. This is the way these countries look at the world. It’s different than the way the West Europeans and we look at it, and frankly the pace at which both the Europeans and the United States [are] cutting their defenses, regardless of what the facts on the ground in terms of the number of ships and number of planes, it certainly sends a signal that we are not interested in protecting our global interests.” . . . Former Defense Secretary Bob Gates, March 9, 2015 Read Full Story

March 5, 2014—In the Blink of an Eye . . .

by Scott Cooper on March 5, 2014 in EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, Ukraine

Everyone should be aware of the instabilities created by Russia’s interference in Ukraine—and it could rapidly go quite badly. Some have recalled the implausible events and misjudgments that led to World War I and wondered about a recurrence. Furthermore, if Iran or anyone else launches a nuclear weapon to high altitude over the U.S. and detonates it to create an electromagnetic pulse, also in the “blink of an eye” that could lead to the death of several hundred million Americans. Read Full Story

February 25, 2014—Proliferation Cacophony Crescendo?

by Scott Cooper on February 25, 2014 in EMP, Henry F. Cooper, High Frontier, Iran, Missile Defense, Proliferation

We understand the electric power grid vulnerabilities and how to fix them—if the powers that be would take the needed initiatives. Yet they dither while the growing nuclear proliferation threat presents a serious concern that we may experience a devastating attack before necessary countermeasures are enacted. Our failing diplomacy and lethargic defense programs are sapping our strength, leaving us with friends who don’t trust us and enemies who don’t fear us. Time is running out for us to rectify this situation. And our enemies know it. Read Full Story