Editor:

The simple fact that North Korea is developing nuclear weapons, no matter how far along they are in the process, calls into question how secure our country really is. (See Clifford May’s column, “National security policies of the next commander-in-chief,” published on May 26 in The Statesman.)

In order for our country to have security against any rogue nation – whether North Korea or the rogue states and entities it is more than happy to share its nuclear technology with – the United States must have a fully operational midcourse missile defense system in place.  Only a system with a proven record of success, like Ground-Based Midcourse Defense, deserves our country’s trust.

Congress must immediately fully fund GMD, including the additional interceptors at current defense installations, updating the “kill-vehicle,” deploying the newest radar systems in order to better track incoming missiles, and focus on building an East Coast site.

As North Korea strides toward becoming a nation with nuclear weapons and seeks to share that technology with those who would gladly do us harm, we must improve our defense systems to ensure we can protect our citizens from any attack.

The cost for such a system is less than one-half of one-percent of the entire defense budget. An entire system that could protect us from a nuclear attack should cost less than what the U.S. government spends on office supplies.

Suzanne Scholte

President, Defense Forum Foundation

Chairman, North Korea Freedom Coalition

Arlington, Virginia