Could the Defense Dept. take over ANWAR sites for missile defense sites?

[bigtree]

There's a raging missile defense fight going on down southeast Alaska, with defense infrastructure running all the way down the Aleutian islands to Hawaii. Still haven't got a handle on what or how, but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that the land, once it is open to leasing, and especially after the oil companies are done with it, will be available to one of these defense contractors to begin their military meddling.

I don't believe that the neocons and the defense industry would stop with the Ft. Greely/Delta Junction site and the Eagle River Flats missle testing site, and not seek to expand their operations up north. Again I haven't found the direct language in the legislation that would make this possible. I'd sure like to nail this down though.

Some resources outlining the current meddling:

Alaska CODE - Stopping Missile Defense Deployment in Alaska
http://www.alaskacode.org/

Bush administration announced that the United States would deploy a limited missile defense system in Ft. Greely Alaska by the close of 2004
http://nti.org/f_wmd411/f2d.html

The Alaska Test Bed Fallacy: Missile Defense Deployment Goes Stealth
http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2001_09/gronlundwrightsept01.asp

Installation of the First Ground-Based Missile Interceptor at Fort Greely, Alaska (industry link)
http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/

[Sugarbleus]

1. Whoooooaaaaaaaa, I never thought of that... very

interesting now you've brought it up... hmmmm

[bigtree]

2. Help me out folks

Why would this administration of neocons invest so much political capital in a potential dog of an oil source? We all know of their hunger for a missile defense system. A northern site would be closer to Russia and other named adversaries. What if they decide that these oil sites need to be protected against some missile attack as all known missiles from Korea would only reach Alaska?

Why would this bunch of military industry executives be so hot for such an uncertain oil field? What would stop one of these military industries from aquiring a lease through some splinter corporation? What does happen to the sites after the oil companies abandon them? That land would presumably then be available. National defense is a seductive cover for most of the industry meddling. Look at the wording of the oil legislation. Energy security and such.

I need some coroboration. Can't let them sneak this in. At least we can force any such ambition into the open. We can't assume that the military would just stop their operations in the middle of Alaska. What about Point Barrow Naval Base at the northern tip of the state?

[FloridaPat]

3. Move money from the treasury to the oil companies to their pockets.

Just like Iraq. Homeland Defense. Whatever.

[bigtree]

4. Exactly! Same thread of oil to defense

defense being the cash cow that we fund with 60% of our tax contributions every year.

[bigtree]

5. I gotta go hit my nite job. I'm gonna work on this tomorrow

I hope for some critical thinking here. see ya! :hi:

[bigtree]

6. *

[ebayfool]

7. Kicking for people smarter than me to see - looks plausible. n/t

[bigtree]

8. What about other military uses of the refuge other than missile defense?

Who gets the land after the oil companies abandon the tracts? Is it then the energy department's to do as it wishes?

What about nuclear energy development?