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Russia concerned about possible US use of force in space

Space X's Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from space launch complex 40 on April 14, 2015 at Cape Canaveral, Florida with a Dragon CRS6 spacecraft.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has voiced serious concern about the possible use of force and deployment of weapons in space by the United States.

The concerns were expressed in a commentary on the US State Department’s annual Report on Adherence to and Compliance With Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments, Russia’s TASS news agency reported on Friday.

The commentary said that Washington had constantly evaded partaking in the talks on the prevention of the deployment of weapons in space.  

"The US persistent refusal to participate in the negotiation of international agreements on the prevention of the deployment of weapons in space is causing major concern," it said.

Senior civilian and military authorities in Washington are violating the international law regarding the agreements, it emphasized.

"Washington continues to be guided in this issue on its national conceptual considerations. The latter, in particular, provide for the possibility of applying preventive force measures even in case of suspected hostile actions by other states, which in itself is contrary to international law."

In a handout photo release by United Launch Alliance on May 20, 2015, an Atlas V rocket carrying the X-37B space plane launches the AFSPC-5 mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. (AFP Photo)

 

The ministry also cites the JP 3-14 Space Operations document of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff that has raised concerns in Moscow about the Washington’s real intentions.

The controversial document in relation to the enemy’s space capacity permits "preventive diplomatic, informational, military and economic measures," it went on to say.

"These assumptions in the most obvious way are aligned with the draft code of conduct for outer space activities, which has been so zealously supported by the United States since 2012," the commentary noted, adding, "In particular, some provisions of the draft code entitle one state to unauthorized, supra-jurisdictional unilateral use of force in respect to spacecraft of other states." 

Arch rivals Moscow and Washington have been running several civilian and military programs in space over the past decades.

The developments come as experts believe that the US and its Western allies are seeking to escalate the confrontation with Moscow over the crisis in east Ukraine.

Daniel Estulin, author of The True Story of the Bilderberg, said in an interview with Press TV in early March that the US and Britain have “reactivated a policy of threatening tactical nuclear warfare against Russia and China to force them to submit to the crumbling transatlantic financial empire.”

JR/GHN/HMV


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