(NationalSecurity.news) After Barack Obama’s routine deference to mindless Islamic barbarians, his handing Iran money to build nuclear weapons, his throwing our military into social chaos and his steadfast refusal to protect our borders, one could question whether he lacked any real desire to protect the country he swore an oath to. Now, however, all measure of doubt and question should be removed.
As reported by AMI Newswire, the Obama administration has granted permission to Russia to overfly the United States with surveillance aircraft using advanced technology. Now granted, Russia already overflies the U.S. and has satellites watching us all the time. But to give Moscow this extra capability – without any indication that we are getting the same in return – is beyond madness. Some would say it borders on treason.
Despite “serious compliance concerns” from the State Department that Russia does not adhere to international treaties on arms control, the United States has agreed to allow a Russian surveillance aircraft to fly across the U.S. mainland, a congressional source told AMI.
The overflight will be conducted by a Tupolev-154 three-engine aircraft, nicknamed “Careless,” that has been specially equipped with advanced cameras. The flight will be held under the auspices of the Open Skies Treaty, a 2002 international agreement that allows 34 signatory nations to fly over one another’s territory and monitor military installations.
The decision comes in the wake of a strongly worded letter to President Barack Obama from three key national security lawmakers who urged the White House to refuse Russia’s request to install upgraded sensors on its Open Skies overflight aircraft.
“In recent years, instead of using the Treaty for its intended purpose, Russia has been using its Open Skies flights to expand its espionage capabilities,” stated the June 14 letter, which was signed by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX).
“Given the threat to U.S. national security and Russia’s continued failure to uphold both the spirit and letter of its commitments under the agreement, we urge you to deny this request and explore whether commercially available satellite imagery can better fulfill the goals of this Treaty,” the lawmakers wrote.
Even the reputedly tolerant State Department has “serious compliance concerns” regarding Russia’s approach to arms control treaties in general, according to a fact sheet posted on the department’s website.
The Open Skies Treaty falls within the range of concerns.
Playing down the lawmakers’ concerns about Russian intentions , though, a State Department official told AMI that the treaty’s primary role is “confidence building” among nations.
The official cited the State Department website fact sheet, which reads in part: “The treaty’s primary value is its role in building transparency and confidence, not intelligence gathering.”
However, the June 14 letter regarding intelligence gathering is not an anomaly. For years, American lawmakers have objected to Russia’s use of the Open Skies Treaty to further its intelligence – and, ultimately, expeditionary – goals.
In 2014, during a Congressional floor debate, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), charged that the Obama administration allowed Russia to upgrade its Open Skies aircraft in ways that will directly threaten U.S. national security.
In 2015, Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, who heads the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, expressed frustration with how Russia was being allowed to use the Open Skies accord.
“The Open Skies construct was designed for a different era,” Stewart told a Congressional committee. “I am very concerned about how it is applied today and I’d love to talk about in a closed hearing.”
Except, Obama doesn’t want to hear about it.
This year, Stewart was even more direct, telling Congress: “Russia’s application today has gone far beyond the original intent of the treaty,” adding “I would love to deny the Russians having that upgraded capability.”
So would any sane American citizen truly concerned about sovereignty and national security – two things you’d think a president would have uppermost in his mind.
But not this president.
If this isn’t a perfect example of how choosing the wrong person, for all the wrong reasons, to lead our country can actually threaten our long-term survivability, then no such example exists. We cannot afford to make the same mistake in November, when one of the candidates, we already know, is a corrupt, wholly compromised individual who is more concerned with feathering her own next than in protecting you.
Susan Katz Keating of AMI Newswire contributed to this report.
More:
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- Will The Supreme Court Finally Address A Fundamental Presidential Duty, Thanks To Obama?
- The U.S. Military Is Falling Apart Under Obama At A Time When We Really Need It To Be Strong
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