* Updated throughout at 3:55 p.m. *
The Vermont National Guard’s Camp Ethan Allen has been selected as a finalist to host a potential East Coast missile defense facility, according to the office of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).
The Jericho site was one of five chosen by the Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency to contend for the system, which is designed to destroy nuclear-armed, intercontinental ballistic missiles. The facility would be operated by the Department of Defense — not the Vermont Guard — and could host 20 interceptors.
Leahy said Thursday morning he would oppose Camp Ethan Allen’s selection as a missile defense site.
“I’ve always felt that the multiple billions spent on missile defense are a monumental waste of money, on technologically challenged systems, and I am emphatically against putting one of these sites in Vermont,” Leahy said in a statement.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Gov. Peter Shumlin joined Leahy later Thursday in criticizing the Pentagon’s announcement.
“My first impression is that this is a very bad idea and, for a wide variety of reasons, I do not believe that it will ever happen,” Sanders said.
“This is absurd,” Welch added. “It’s the wrong location for a bad idea and dead on arrival.”
Said Shumlin, “Vermonters are well-served by our federal delegation’s thoughtful involvement and deep experience in these issues, and I agree with Senator Leahy, Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch.”
All four men are strong supporters of the Pentagon’s proposed basing of F-35 fighter jets in Vermont.
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Here we go again. The placement of missies and fighter/bomber planes in the densest population area of Vermont is an invitation to all enemies of this nation to attack those sites in order to complete the greatest kill in the shortest time. INSANE!
Obviously being proposed for VT, to put political pressure on Sen. Leahy for support and funding.
?? Leahy doesn’t even want it here….how is that going to get DOD support and funding?
General Dodonna: The battle station is heavily shielded and carries a firepower greater than half the star fleet. Its defenses are designed around a direct, large-scale assault. A hippie with a cardboard sign should be able to penetrate the outer defense.
Gold Leader: Pardon me for asking, sir, but what good are septuagenarian hippies going to be against that?
General Dodonna: Well, the Empire doesn’t consider a stoned hippie to be any threat, or they’d have a tighter defense. An analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leahy has demonstrated a weakness in the battle station. But the approach will not be easy…
Worth pointing out that the “densest population of Vermont” is still nowhere near as dense as any of thousands (tens of thousands?) of other places in the rest of the U.S. I guess if “all [our] enemies” were looking for bombing sites to rack up a huge kill count, Vermont wouldn’t hit the tippity top of the list.
It’s not like him to turn down pork out of hand like this. You can bet Shumlin is doing the math before he opens his mouth…
Evidently Bill Stenger is also against this because if he was for it Leahy would be all over it gushing support for it. Remember in Vt. Stenger speaks and Leahy takes his orders to make sure all leaks are filled.
Senility is kicking in… or he was testing out some reefer while taking testimony the other day
No, here YOU go again. This comment is bereft of sense. “Densest population area of Vermont” = zero, relative to anywhere else in the U.S.
The DoD is saying this is potentially a 5 BILLION dollar project. Five billion! The graft opportunities alone will be legion. A mountain of concrete will have to be poured, a river of asphalt. Offices, homes. People are gonna go nuts.