America's Kingdom of Heaven

On Oct. 18, President George W. Bush signed an executive order creating a new national policy which loudly proclaims that the U.S. will brook no restraint of any kind on its "rights, capabilities, and freedom of action" in space, and that it has the right to deny space "access" to any power deemed hostile to U.S. "national interests."

The report did not elaborate on how the U.S would restrict this access, but Air Force officers have written position papers calling for an "active military posture" in space that may include "deception, disruption, denial, degradation, and destruction" by "hunter-killer microsatellites" and "spaced-based weapons platform[s]." Essentially, Bush has declared outer space an American colony with the stroke of a pen

There are so many articles out on this subject, I could be searching and reading all day.

SPACE WARS from Tompaine is also very good:

The Bush administration throws in some phrases in to its new policy to appeal to Star Trek fans and internationalists and to pacify those alarmed when an early draft of the report leaked to The New York Times last year sounded stridently bellicose. The United States “will seek to cooperate with other nations in the peaceful use of outer space” and “is committed to the exploration and use of outer space by all nations for peaceful purposes, and for the benefit of all humanity.” But these Kirk- and Picard-worthy sentiments are immediately contradicted when “peaceful purposes” is clarified to include “U.S. defense and intelligence related activities in pursuit of national interests.” Five of the seven United States policy goals mention “national security” and/or “defending our interests.” Three of the eight areas of space policy are related military uses of space—the national security space guidelines, space nuclear power and space-related security classification. However the guidelines for those three take up as much room as the five areas of civilian and commercial use of space resources.

And here is an article from usinfo.state.gov explaining this new space policy, and it should put to rest any reservations you may have:

U.S. Opposes Restrictions on Use of Space
Policy acknowledges new technology, importance of space to international commerce



“With the amount of time that has passed,” a senior administration official told the Washington File October 20, “there have been changes in challenges, threats and opportunities, and there’s a need to reflect new government organizations, like the Department of Homeland Security.”

At the UNGA First Committee meeting, Luaces also said the United States opposes proposed negotiations on the prevention of an arms race in space.

According to the U.S. space policy, “The United States will oppose the development of new legal regimes or other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit U.S. access to or use of space. Proposed arms control agreements or restrictions must not impair the rights of the United States to conduct research, development, testing and operations or other activities in space for U.S. national interests.”

“The danger against which we all must be vigilant,” Luaces said, “is not some theoretical arms race in space, but threats that would deny peaceful access to and use of space -- especially ground-based space denial capabilities intended to impede the free access to and use of space systems and services.”

The new policy makes clear, a senior administration official said, that the United States remains “completely committed” to the peaceful use of outer space, and that such use includes defense-related activities. Huh?