What is Necessary to Protect Our National Security?

National Security Needs
In terms of high national security needs, the greatest threat may be that of a ballistic missile attack on the United States and its allies. That's the main reason the United States needs to build land-based missile defenses in Poland and Czech Republic. Moscow must be made to understand that this is a defensive system targeted at aggression from Iran, not Russia.

We need to develop along with our allies a global command-and-control network capable of dealing with any new missile threats. Europe needs to field land- and sea-based systems, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense systems. More needs done to perfect "boost-phase" interceptors capable of taking out enemy missiles right after launch when they are most vulnerable.

Other things the United States needs to do to meet national security needs: Finish the job in Iraq and the war on terror; strengthen Homeland Security; build an experimental missile-defense platform in orbit; lead an international coalition to halt Iran's nuclear development with tough economic sanctions; build better border security; beef up security of information technology systems; eliminate excessive regulatory restrictions on trade imports in the name of national security; spend at least 4 percent of annual gross domestic product on defense over the next decade to recover from the long post-Cold War "peace dividend" of the 1990s.

To learn more about the 10 things the United States can do to address its national security needs, read the article, "National Security Resolutions for 2009  HERE.