Mike Levin: “At these sites, they are not going to be fired. So you want to deploy before you test. Do not deploy because you think…”

“At these sites, they are not going to be fired. So you want to deploy before you test. Do not deploy because you think that is where you are going to be testing from. We are not. That is according to the Department of Defense. Now another reason we are given is that will work against the real North Korean missile threat. That is what we are told. Yet on March 11, the Pentagon's own chief tester, Tom Christie, testified in front of the Armed Services Committee and Senator Jack Reed asked him whether it was true that at this time we cannot be sure the actual missile defense system would work against a real North Korean missile threat, to which Mr. Christie replied, ``I would say that's true.'' Now, there are good arguments to test a missile defense system which will work. It seems to me to say that a missile defense system which may or may not work, which we have not tested operationally or realistically, is a deterrent against some potential threat, is totally inaccurate as well. It is wishful thinking. Something is not deterred with a system which may not work. There is testing to get a system which does work and then deterrence may be possible, because if there is going to be a missile attack against us, we always have to remember that the people who would shoot at us, No. 1, would destroy themselves, not us.…”