Rep. Gus Bilraikis (FL) published an op/ed in the Hill today, entitled "America Vulnerable to Iranian Missile Attack." See the following excerpt:
On Sept. 17, 2009, 70 years to the day that the Red Army invaded Poland, President Obama pulled the plug on the U.S. plan to establish a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. This irony, reneging on an agreement with two partners in Central Europe and yielding to threats by the Russians, was not lost on our European allies, who viewed the shield as a substantial contribution to their safety.
More importantly, the decision leaves the United States less capable of responding to the growing ballistic missile threat from Iran. According to the head of the U.S. European Command, Iran would be able to deploy an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching parts of the U.S. by 2015. The European-based missile defense system would have provided a layer of protection against just such an attack on the eastern seaboard of the United States. As Iran and North Korea continue to defy the international community with missile testing and pursuit of nuclear capability, the Obama administration has cut missile defense funding by more than $1 billion.Recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported to the United Nations that “[t]he Agency … assesses that Iran has sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable implosion nuclear device.” Even worse, the report revealed that not only does Iran have “sufficient information” to make a nuclear weapon, but it has “probably tested” a key component.