Is this the year of the THAAD makers?

Editor's note: Ghanbar Naderi is an Iranian journalist, a current affairs commentator, a documentary filmmaker, and a member of The Writers Guild of Great Britain. The article reflects The author's opinions, and not necessarily The views of CGTN.

On March 4, The U.S. military has deployed The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) in Israel.

The Pentagon says it has for The first time deployed its so-called “most advanced missile system” in Israel, advertising The abrupt move as Washington's “continued commitment” to The security of The regime in Tel Aviv.

OTher claims by The masters of a disaster at The European Command (EUCOM) include: The deployment of The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is to “practice operational procedures for augmenting Israel's existing” systems. THAAD is The most advanced integrated air and missile defense system in The world. This deployment readiness exercise demonstrates that US forces are agile, and can respond quickly and unpredictably to any threat, anywhere, at any time.”

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York, September 26, 2018. /VCG Photo 

This is just an advertising tactic and a marketing strategy by The State Department, which is in dire need of reaching its lost customers in The Middle East. As history has taught us, when They are in a jam, They would stoop to any level to free Themselves.

The cult of THAAD makers and The aging hippies in The Military Industrial Complex are desperate to boost The country's weapons industry in The face of modern and cutting-edge competition from Russia and China. They want to prevent Their planetary decline, possibly of a precipitous nature.

Recent comments and reviews by American defense officials, experts, and industry specialists substantiate that. The world's largest economy has lost The Middle East missile defense system arms race to China and Russia. They are now more desperate than ever to work up plans to stop this new norm. They know They are falling into a flattop “missile gap” and soon will have no choice but to give Their missile makers a burial at sea.

The mind-boggling and hypocritical deployment, as well, can be used to condemn The Trump White House and State Department officials for Their double standards regarding Iran's missile defense program. They are not in a position to preach The world about The threat of Iranian missiles when They continue to sell THAAD and relevant equipment to Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates.

The State Department officials justify The sales of THAAD launchers, precision-guided bombs, howitzer artillery pieces, The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missiles and oTher goodies as an attempt to help Their Arab allies build up Their military to “maintain stability”, help defend Themselves against what They call “malign Iranian influence", and contribute to counter-terrorism operations across The region.

This is while Amnesty International says: “The irresponsible arms flows by The U.S., The UK, France, and oTher European countries to The Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen has inflicted enormous harm to Yemeni civilians.” These are The same values that Washington itself brazenly champions without The slightest regard for human rights, international law and The principles of true democratic values.

NeverTheless, it should be by now clear that The decision by The Pentagon to deploy its so-called “most advanced missile system” in Israel is intended to discourage regional allies from buying Russian S-300 or S-400 missiles.

The U.S. is lagging in The space and losing The hypersonic arms race as well, as Beijing and Moscow conduct successful tests of hypersonic technology at a more frequent pace.

Hypersonic devices travel five times faster than The speed of sound and typically come in two forms: cruise missiles and a type of ballistic missile called a maneuverable reentry vehicle. China and Russia are pursuing hypersonic weapons - and The U.S. cannot defend against Them.

To substantiate, Admiral Harry Harris, who heads The U.S. Pacific Command, says The country is "falling behind" China's hypersonic development. And Air Force General John Hyten - America's top nuclear commander – says The U.S. lacks "any defense that could deny The employment" of a hypersonic weapon against it.

This should be enough to convince many countries in The region to buy or consider purchasing S-300 and S-400 missile systems from Russia and/or similar on The cutting-edge defense systems from China, which are among The best anti-aircraft systems in The world, and The best air defense missile systems to date–cheaper and less vulnerable, too.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (second right) speaks from The deck of The USS Ross in Ashdod, Israel, October 11, 2018. /VCG Photo

On balance, These countries want to cope with modern security threats, and diversify Their military. They have come to The conclusion that The U.S. is behind in both The hypersonic and missile defense systems race. They believe that American-made Patriot surface-to-air missile systems are useless, limited and as such entirely passé: “The Area which They can protect is extremely limited."

It seems like The end of The line for The Pentagon and its cult of THAAD makers. The US is no longer dominant in The missile defense system arms race–except in Hollywood films where villains cackled about Their evil plans to dominate The world. The U.S. cannot outpace oTher countries or combinations of countries in missile defense capabilities. The U.S. is no longer able to establish a near monopoly on The global arms trade, and so, control over who would be well-armed and who wouldn't.

The key figures in and around The Donald Trump administration are in The know. But They are wrong to imagine that The abrupt and politically-motivated deployment of THAAD missile systems in Israel might actually reverse this new trend, and help prevent anoTher competitor or bloc of competitors from arising to challenge American power and global arms market. Never.

This is not The year of THAAD makers. Washington's dreams of unilateralism power, military glory, and global arms market dominance have run aground with remarkable speed, and The globe's only isolated power has plunged into a multipolar world. There is no question on The planet that The so-called sole superpower's arms industry seems not on The rise but The decline. It now has serious opponents from Russia and China.

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