USN cruiser to shoot down satellite

[CougarKing]

...with SM-3s? Whoa...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23166344/

Pentagon to shoot down broken spy satellite
Plan is to fire missiles from U.S. Navy cruiser before it hits Earth

MSNBC News Services
updated 10:33 a.m. PT, Thurs., Feb. 14, 2008

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is planning to shoot down a broken spy satellite expected to hit the Earth in early March, The Associated Press has learned.

U.S. officials said Thursday that the option preferred by the Bush administration will be to fire missiles from a U.S. Navy cruiser, and shoot down the satellite before it enters Earth's atmosphere.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the options have not yet been discussed publicly. Deputy national security advisor James Jeffries, Gen. James Cartwright, Joint Chiefs of Staff vice chairman, and NASA administrator Michael Griffin will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. EST to discuss the satellite.

The disabled satellite is expected to hit the Earth the first week of March. Officials said the Navy would likely shoot it down before then, using a special missile modified for the task.

The Navy will fire two or three SM-3 missiles from a cruiser and destroyer off the Northwest coast of Hawaii. The SM-3's which are more of a medium-range interceptor have to be modified — more fuel and new software — to reach the disabled spy satellite in orbit. If the intercept and kill are successful and the satellite is destroyed, it appears most of the debris will become orbitting "space junk" and not reenter Earth's atmopshere.
Shooting down a satellite is particularly sensitive because of the controversy surrounding China's anti-satellite test last year, when Beijing shot down one of its defunct weather satellites, drawing immediate criticism from the United States and other countries.

A key concern at that time was the debris created by the Chinese satellite's destruction — and that will also be a focus now, as the U.S. determines exactly when and under what circumstances to shoot down its errant satellite.

The military will have to choose a time and a location that will avoid to the greatest degree any damage to other satellites in the sky. Also, there is the possibility that large pieces could remain, and either stay in orbit where they can collide with other satellites or possibly fall to Earth.

It is not known where the satellite will hit. But officials familiar with the situation say about half of the 5,000-pound spacecraft is expected to survive its blazing descent through the atmosphere and will scatter debris — some of it potentially hazardous — over several hundred miles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The satellite is outfitted with thrusters — small engines used to position it in space. They contain the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine, which can cause harm to anyone who contacts it.

Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, who heads U.S. Northern Command, told The Associated Press in late January that the size of the satellite suggests that some number of pieces will not burn up as the orbiting vehicle re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and will hit the ground.

"We're aware that this satellite is out there," Renuart said. "We're aware it is a fairly substantial size. And we know there is at least some percentage that it could land on ground as opposed to in the water."

A U.S. official confirmed that the spy satellite, which lost power and no longer can be controlled, was launched in December 2006. It carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor but the satellite's central computer failed shortly after launch.


The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret, said the satellite is designated by the military as US 193, but it never reached its final orbit and the Pentagon declared it a total loss in early 2007.

Renuart added that, "As it looks like it might re-enter into the North American area," then the U.S. military along with the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will either have to deal with the impact or assist Canadian or Mexican authorities.

Military agencies, he said, are doing an analysis to determine which pieces most likely would survive re-entry. But he cautioned that officials won't have much detail on where or when it will crash until it begins to move through the atmosphere and break up.

Renuart added that there does not as yet appear to be much concern about sensitive technologies on the satellite falling into enemy hands.

"I'm not aware that we have a security issue," he said. "It's really just a big thing falling on the ground that we want to make sure we're prepared for."

The satellite includes some small engines that contain a toxic chemical called hydrazine — which is rocket fuel. But Renuart said they are not large booster engines with substantial amounts of fuel.

Initial estimates were that the satellite would take years to degrade and re-enter the atmosphere.

Video images of the satellite captured by John Locker, a British amateur satellite watcher, show it to be about 13 feet to 16.5 feet across. Locker calculated its size with data on its altitude and location provided by other amateur satellite watchers, using the international space station as a yardstick.

Satellite watchers — a worldwide network of hobbyists who track satellites for fun — have been plotting the satellite's degradation for a year. They estimated it at an altitude of about 173 miles in late January, and Locker believes it is dropping about 1,640 feet a day.

Where it lands will be difficult to predict until the satellite falls to about 59 miles above the Earth and enters the atmosphere. It will then begin to burn up, with flares visible from the ground, said Ted Molczan, a Canadian satellite tracker. From that point on, he said, it will take about 30 minutes to fall.

In the past 50 years of monitoring space, 17,000 manmade objects have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.

NBC News contributed to this report by The Associated Press.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23166344/

 

[stegner]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080214/pentagon_satellite_080214/20080214?hub=TopStories

U.S. to aim missile at broken spy satellite

Updated Thu. Feb. 14 2008 3:32 PM ET

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President George Bush decided to make a first-of-its-kind attempt to use a missile to bring down a broken U.S. spy satellite because of the potential danger to people from its rocket fuel, officials said Thursday.

Deputy National Security Adviser James Jeffries, briefing reporters at the Pentagon, did not say when the attempted intercept would be conducted, but the satellite is expected to hit Earth during the first week of March.

Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the same briefing that the "window of opportunity" for such a shootdown, presumably to be launched from a Navy ship, will open in the next three or four days and last for seven or eight days. He did not say whether the Pentagon has decided on an exact launch date.

Cartwright said this will be an unprecedented effort; he would not say exactly what are the odds of success.

"This is the first time we've used a tactical missile to engage a spacecraft," Cartwright said.

After extensive study and analysis, U.S. officials came to the conclusion that, "we're better off taking the attempt than not," Cartwright said.

He said a Navy missile known as Standard Missile 3 would be fired in an attempt to intercept the satellite just prior to it re-entering Earth's atmosphere. It would be "next to impossible" to hit the satellite after that because of atmospheric disturbances, Cartwright said.

A second goal, he said, is to directly hit the fuel tank in order to minimize the amount of fuel that returns to Earth.

Cartwright also said that if an initial shootdown attempt fails, a decision will be made whether to take a second shot.

Shooting down a satellite is particularly sensitive because of the controversy surrounding China's anti-satellite test last year, when Beijing shot down one of its defunct weather satellites, drawing immediate criticism from the U.S. and other countries.

A key concern at that time was the debris created by Chinese satellite's destruction -- and that will also be a focus now, as the U.S. determines exactly when and under what circumstances to shoot down its errant satellite.

The military will have to choose a time and a location that will avoid to the greatest degree any damage to other satellites in the sky. Also, there is the possibility that large pieces could remain, and either stay in orbit where they can collide with other satellites or possibly fall to Earth.

It is not known where the satellite will hit. But officials familiar with the situation say about half of the 5,000-pound spacecraft is expected to survive its blazing descent through the atmosphere and will scatter debris -- some of it potentially hazardous -- over several hundred miles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The satellite is outfitted with thrusters -- small engines used to position it in space. They contain the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine, which can cause harm to anyone who contacts it. Officials have said there is about 1,000 pounds of propellent on the satellite.

Known by its military designation US 193, the satellite was launched in December 2006. It lost power and its central computer failed almost immediately afterward, leaving it uncontrollable. It carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor.

A question- Does the Canadian Navy have these same standard missiles on its destroyers? 

 

[a_majoor]

Why is it suddenly a mater of urgency to shoot down a malfunctioning spy satellite?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mystery-of-the-toxic-satellite-783390.html?service=Print

Mystery of the toxic satellite

The US plans to shoot it down, but is it telling the truth about health risks?

By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
Sunday, 17 February 2008

It sounds like the plot of a bad Hollywood movie. A dying US spy satellite is hurtling towards Earth. Military specialists worry that its toxic fuel load could contaminate a populated area. After weeks of deliberation, a resolute president gives the order to shoot the satellite down with an air-to-space missile...

This, however, is no movie. The US military will indeed try to shoot down a rogue satellite this week, as soon as the space shuttle Atlantis has completed its mission. But almost nobody believes the public health rationale offered for the missile strike, seeing it instead as an attempt by the US to test out space weaponry or, possibly, to play a game of one-upmanship with China.

The satellite, which is about the size of a school bus, has been drifting back towards Earth since last month. True, it does contain about 1,000lb of a toxic fuel called hydrazine. But the risk, even if the fuel did spill out in the middle of a city, is so minimal as to be laughable, according to experts.

"In the history of the space age, there has not been a single human being who has been harmed by man-made objects falling from space," Michael Krepon of the Henry L Stimson Center, a military think-tank, told The Washington Post. "There has to be another reason behind this."

Other researchers point out that 42 objects fell to Earth last year, including one with a form of hydrazine on board and a dozen others containing hydrazine residue. They put the risk of someone being harmed at about one in a trillion. "Having the US government spend millions of dollars to destroy a billion-dollar failure to save zero lives is comedic gold," one expert told Wired magazine's blog.

The mission carries with it considerable risk of loss of prestige if it fails. But the US government is sticking to its line that this is all about protecting people, and has mobilised emergency management experts to alert the world's citizenry to a danger they cannot see.

 

[Reccesoldier]

Why is it suddenly a mater of urgency to shoot down a malfunctioning spy satellite?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mystery-of-the-toxic-satellite-783390.html?service=Print

This is a big one and the US is afraid that some of it could end up in the wrong hands.  It's not a GPS satelite or anything as pedestrian as that.  Secrets, secrets, secrets...

 

[daftandbarmy]

DUCK!!!


US declares 1400-mile Pacific sat-shoot exclusion zone

The US military has issued a warning notice barring flights above a large area of the northern Pacific for two and a half hours early on Thursday morning. The stricken spy satellite marked for destruction by US warships will pass over the taped-off area just at this time, indicating that the first shot will take place then.

The NOTAM (NOTice To AirMen) warning reads:

02/062 (A0038/08) - AIRSPACE CARF NR. 90 ON EVELYN STATIONARY RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 3145N 17012W 2824N 16642W 2352N 16317W 1909N 16129W 1241N 16129W 1239N 16532W 1842N 17057W 2031N 17230W 2703N 17206W SFC-UNL. 21 FEB 02:30 2008 UNTIL 21 FEB 05:00 2008. CREATED: 18 FEB 12:51 2008
A "CARF" (Central Altitude Reservation Function) designation indicates a NOTAM intended to keep commercial and private flights clear of military operations, and SFC-UNL means the height band of this warning zone reaches from the surface to "unlimited" altitude - in other words all the way into space. The UTC time referred to is the same as UK time, so the zone exists from 0230 to 0500 on Thursday morning for British readers.

As will be evident, the barred area is a cool 1,400 miles long and nearly 700 miles wide at the surface, giving the US Navy plenty of elbow room to fire their interceptor missiles up into the descending spacecraft's path.


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/19/sat_shoot_notam_airspace_warning_declared/

 

[tomahawk6]

The weather isnt optimum so it may be delayed a day.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/19/sat_shoot_notam_airspace_warning_declared/

The US military has issued a warning notice barring flights above a large area of the northern Pacific for two and a half hours early on Thursday morning. The stricken spy satellite marked for destruction by US warships will pass over the taped-off area just at this time, indicating that the first shot will take place then.

The NOTAM (NOTice To AirMen) warning reads:
02/062 (A0038/08) - AIRSPACE CARF NR. 90 ON EVELYN STATIONARY RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 3145N 17012W 2824N 16642W 2352N 16317W 1909N 16129W 1241N 16129W 1239N 16532W 1842N 17057W 2031N 17230W 2703N 17206W SFC-UNL. 21 FEB 02:30 2008 UNTIL 21 FEB 05:00 2008. CREATED: 18 FEB 12:51 2008

A "CARF" (Central Altitude Reservation Function) designation indicates a NOTAM intended to keep commercial and private flights clear of military operations, and SFC-UNL means the height band of this warning zone reaches from the surface to "unlimited" altitude - in other words all the way into space. The UTC time referred to is the same as UK time, so the zone exists from 0230 to 0500 on Thursday morning for British readers.

The latitudes and longitudes can be plotted with the crippled spy sat's ground track overlaid, which has been done by satellite watcher Ted Molczan in handy pdf form here. Those running Google Earth can get a better look using this kmz file, compiled by Molczan's fellow sky-watcher Alan Clegg from the pdf.

As will be evident, the barred area is a cool 1,400 miles long and nearly 700 miles wide at the surface, giving the US Navy plenty of elbow room to fire their interceptor missiles up into the descending spacecraft's path.

Reports have it that three US Aegis air-defence warships, the cruiser Lake Erie and the destroyers Decatur and Russell, will be waiting for the satellite west of Hawaii. Each ship carries a specially modified Standard SM-3 interceptor, originally intended for defence against lower-flying ballistic missile warheads. The three interceptors are on separate ships in case of a technical issue with the Aegis radar and fire-control system.

As it passes over the firing area, the satellite will be approximately 3,000 miles and ten minutes out from the western coast of Canada, the next land it will pass over. The satellite has much more mass than the soaring "exo-atmospheric kill vehicle" it will smack into, so this gives some idea of the onward track the wreckage might follow in the event of a hit.

The Pentagon believes most of the resulting debris from a successful shot will burn up soon afterwards, and almost all should be gone within "two orbits". Boosters and other gubbins from the interceptors will presumably fall within the ocean NOTAM area.

The firing area seems to have been chosen so as to minimise the chances of debris falling anywhere other than in the ocean or North America, which could lend credence to the idea that the intercept is primarily aimed at safeguarding the satellite's technology

 

[stegner]

This is a big one and the US is afraid that some of it could end up in the wrong hands.  It's not a GPS satelite or anything as pedestrian as that.  Secrets, secrets, secrets...

Maybe but I think this might be the larger concern:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080219/navy_satellite_080220/20080220?hub=TopStories

RCMP says 25% risk U.S. satellite will hit Canada

Updated Wed. Feb. 20 2008 10:10 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

RCMP officials believe there is a 25 per cent chance an out-of-control satellite will hit Canada and release toxic rocket fuel, unless the U.S. military can shoot it down, CTV News has learned.

"Currently, there is a 25 per cent chance the satellite will impact on Canadians soil," says an internal RCMP memo. "If it does hit Canadian soil, the debris field 'could' be up to 600 miles radius. If it does not hit Canadian soil, we still may receive some debris."

The bus-sized satellite -- known as US 193 -- became uncontrollable soon after its December 2006 launch, when its central computer failed and it lost power. It's estimated to be carrying up to 450 kilograms of hazardous fuel called hydrazine, encased in a titanium tank.

"The tank is likely to survive the entry and break up upon impact, releasing the toxic hydrazine," the memo warns.

The document also suggests the satellite would "make an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere on or about March 6, 2008," but warned it was still too difficult to determine where exactly it might hit.

"We will get only a rough satellite entry point. The impact area can only be determined approximately two hours prior to impact," says the document.

A pentagon official told CNN that a U.S. navy ship in the Pacific is taking aim at the satellite as it passes by 240 kilometres above the Earth.

But over the next 10 days at 10:30 p.m. ET, the USS Lake Erie will only have a 10-second window to fire at the satellite with its two SM-3 missiles, destroying the satellite with pure kinetic force rather than explosive power.

The pentagon said it was doubtful the cruiser would be able to fire Wednesday night, because of turbulent waters.

"We don't anticipate the weather being good enough today," said the officer.

However, he added that conditions could improve enough in the hours ahead to permit it to go forward.

A final decision on whether to proceed will be made by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

According to the RCMP document, U.S. officials notified the Canadian government on Feb. 14 that it had authorized the Pentagon to shoot down the satellite.

The U.S. government has also said that, if necessary, it will work with Canada for "consequence management and payload recovery operations."

Last year, China conducted an anti-satellite test by shooting one of its old weather satellites still in orbit. That left a lot of debris, which could continue to orbit earth for years to come.

At the time, the U.S. condemned the Chinese action.

With files from The Associated Press

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Article Link

RCMP says 25% risk U.S. satellite will hit Canada
Updated Wed. Feb. 20 2008 10:35 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

RCMP officials believe there is a 25 per cent chance an out-of-control satellite will hit Canada and release toxic rocket fuel, unless the U.S. military can shoot it down, CTV News has learned.

"Currently, there is a 25 per cent chance the satellite will impact on Canadians soil," says an internal RCMP memo. "If it does hit Canadian soil, the debris field 'could' be up to 600 miles radius. If it does not hit Canadian soil, we still may receive some debris."

The bus-sized satellite -- known as US 193 -- became uncontrollable soon after its December 2006 launch, when its central computer failed and it lost power. It's estimated to be carrying up to 450 kilograms of hazardous fuel called hydrazine, encased in a titanium tank.

"The tank is likely to survive the entry and break up upon impact, releasing the toxic hydrazine," the memo warns.

The document also suggests the satellite would "make an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere on or about March 6, 2008," but warned it was still too difficult to determine where exactly it might hit.

"We will get only a rough satellite entry point. The impact area can only be determined approximately two hours prior to impact," says the document.

A Pentagon official told CNN that a U.S. navy ship in the Pacific is taking aim at the satellite as it passes by 240 kilometres above the Earth.

Over the next 10 days, the USS Lake Erie will have a 10-second window each night to fire at the satellite with its two SM-3 missiles, destroying it with pure kinetic force rather than explosive power.

The first opportunity was Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET, but the Pentagon said it was doubtful the cruiser would be able to fire because of turbulent waters.

"We don't anticipate the weather being good enough today," said the officer.

However, he added that conditions could improve enough in the hours ahead to permit it to go forward.

A final decision on whether to proceed will be made by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

According to the RCMP document, U.S. officials notified the Canadian government on Feb. 14 that it had authorized the Pentagon to shoot down the satellite.

The U.S. government has also said that, if necessary, it will work with Canada for "consequence management and payload recovery operations."

Last year, China conducted an anti-satellite test by shooting one of its old weather satellites still in orbit. That left a lot of debris, which could continue to orbit earth for years to come.

At the time, the U.S. condemned the Chinese action.

With files from The Associated Pres

 

[CrazyCanuck]

And it's down...
Well at least according to CNN's website, they just took the shot and succeeded.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Article Link

U.S. military shoots out-of-control spy satellite
Updated Wed. Feb. 20 2008 10:52 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

The U.S. military said late Wednesday it had successfully fired a missile at an out-of-control satellite, in a move to prevent a tank of hazardous fuel from hitting the Earth.

RCMP officials believed there was a 25 per cent chance the satellite would strike Canada if the U.S. failed to shoot it down.

"Currently, there is a 25 per cent chance the satellite will impact on Canadians soil," says an internal RCMP memo. "If it does hit Canadian soil, the debris field 'could' be up to 600 miles radius. If it does not hit Canadian soil, we still may receive some debris."

The bus-sized satellite -- known as US 193 -- became uncontrollable soon after its December 2006 launch, when its central computer failed and it lost power. It was estimated to be carrying up to 450 kilograms of hazardous fuel called hydrazine, encased in a titanium tank.

"The tank is likely to survive the entry and break up upon impact, releasing the toxic hydrazine," the memo warns.

A U.S. navy ship in the Pacific took aim at the satellite as it passed by 240 kilometres above the Earth.

The USS Lake Erie only had a 10-second window to fire its two SM-3 missiles, destroying the satellite with pure kinetic force rather than explosive power.

Officials said the cruiser managed to hit the satellite on its first attempt, at 10:30 p.m. ET, despite possibly being in turbulent waters.

According to the RCMP document, U.S. officials notified the Canadian government on Feb. 14 that it had authorized the Pentagon to shoot down the satellite.

The U.S. government had also said that, if necessary, it would work with Canada for "consequence management and payload recovery operations."

Last year, China conducted an anti-satellite test by shooting one of its old weather satellites still in orbit. That left a lot of debris, which could continue to orbit earth for years to come.

At the time, the U.S. condemned the Chinese action.

With files from The Associated Press

 

[CougarKing]

Good job! Kudos to the crew of the cruiser USS Lake Erie! 

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Article Link


U.S. missile hits dead satellite
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 | 11:31 PM ET
CBC News
The U.S. Navy shot down a defective spy satellite over the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday night, but it was too soon to say whether the tank of toxic fuel on board was destroyed.

The navy fired a missile at the satellite, striking it as it travelled 247 kilometres above the Pacific Ocean at a speed of 27,000 km/h, the U.S. Defence Department said in a news release.

A missile is launched from the USS Lake Erie in December.
(U.S. Navy/Associated Press) One of the main goals of the U.S. mission was to rupture the satellite's fuel tank, which contained 453 kilograms of hydrazine, a hazardous material that could pose a danger to humans. The navy wanted the fuel to escape the tank and dissipate before entering the earth's atmosphere.

"Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours," the Defence Department said in its release.

The SM-3 missile was launched from the USS Lake Erie, a warship that was designed to launch missiles at incoming enemy missiles.

Because the satellite was relatively close to the Earth's surface when it was hit, debris was expected to begin entering the Earth's atmosphere almost immediately, the Defence Department said. It did not say where the debris was expected to fall.

"Nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within 24-48 hours, and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days," the department said.

The U.S. government has a hazardous material team, known by the code name Burnt Frost, that will fly to any site where dangerous or sensitive debris might land, even if it's outside the United States.

The operation was considered so extraordinary that Defence Secretary Robert Gates was to make the final decision to pull the trigger on the missile. A military commander would usually make such a decision.

With files from the Associated Press

 

[1feral1]

Good shooting lads!

 

[tomahawk6]

Video:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=71c_1203596547

 

[Mike Baker]

Good job! Kudos to the crew of the cruiser USS Lake Erie! 

+1.

 

[georgeharper]

Funny how when the Chinese shot down a satellite last year the Americans and Americas yes man in Canada Harper were outraged and demanded to be given all the info regarding space debris.
Now the Chinese are asking for all info into this outer space target practice (which is all it really was) and the Americans are telling the Chinese to go to hell.Its confidential info

 

[Mike Baker]

Funny how when the Chinese shot down a satellite last year the Americans and Americas yes man in Canada Harper were outraged and demanded to be given all the info regarding space debris.
Now the Chinese are asking for all info into this outer space target practice (which is all it really was) and the Americans are telling the Chinese to go to hell.Its confidential info

The Chinese shot down a weather satellite, whereas the U.S. shot down a spy satellite. Little bit of a difference :

 

[Michael OLeary]

Funny how when the Chinese shot down a satellite last year the Americans and Americas yes man in Canada Harper were outraged and demanded to be given all the info regarding space debris.
Now the Chinese are asking for all info into this outer space target practice (which is all it really was) and the Americans are telling the Chinese to go to hell.Its confidential info

Obviously it's another US conspiracy, part of their plan to dominate the world.  You'd better go off-line and hide in your bunker before Carnivore tracks you down and the black helicopters arrive in your yard.    :

 

[muskrat89]

and the Americans are telling the Chinese to go to hell.Its confidential info

What a freakin winner you are....

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080221/D8UV0G480.html

"China is continuously following closely the possible harm caused by the U.S. action to outer space security and relevant countries," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at news conference in Beijing. "China requests the U.S. to fulfill its international obligations in real earnest and provide to the international community necessary information and relevant data in a timely and prompt way so that relevant countries can take precautions."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the U.S. would share information.

"We provided a lot of information ... before it took place," Gates told reporters traveling with him Hawaii. But he also said that he's determined to be open about the U.S. operation and "we are prepared to share whatever appropriately we can."

 

[GAP]

Where do you guys find these flunkies.....real people don't really believe that shit do they?  :