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SOURCE:- NDTV.com: US missile defence system under scrutiny

US missile defence system under scrutiny

A group of eminent scientists who have been critical of missile defence plans told lawmakers that a system being built by the United States cannot protect the country.

They also questioned whether the US Defence Department has misled the public and European allies about the system's capabilities.

''The (global missile defence) programme offers no prospect of defending the United States from a real-world missile attack and undermines efforts to eliminate the real nuclear threats to the United States,'' Lisbeth Gronlund, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told lawmakers on Wednesday at a House of Representatives oversight hearing on the missile defence programme, according to prepared testimony.

Gronlund's group has long expressed skepticism about missile defence.

The panel's chairman, Democratic Republican John Tierney, who has sought to step up oversight of the missile defence programme since the Democrats took control of the House last year, called the hearing.

Missile defence traditionally has drawn more support from Republicans.

Tierney said the testimony from the witnesses raises questions about current missile defence spending levels. He pointed to congressional projections of $ 213-277 billion for the programme between now and 2025.

''We need to all ask ourselves, whether you're a conservative Republican or a liberal Democrat: 'Are we wisely spending the taxpayer's money here','' Tierney said in his opening remarks.