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Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

rshowalter - 11:07pm Jul 18, 2001 EST (#7184 of 7185)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD6980 rshowalter 7/12/01 1:25pm ... deals with a key issue.

The "misconception" that "states like North Korea and Iran would not dare attack the United States, knowing they would pay a terrible price in response." ....... has been extensively discussed on this thread, and has included many able people - including a representative of the administration, gisterme , who has worked hard.

If you search "deter*" -- this thread, there are 5 search pages, including many more links than the 46 cited in MD6980 rshowalter 7/12/01 1:25pm

There has been little argument at all in support of the idea that there are "undeterrable rogues" out there to motivate the administration's missile defense proposals. Of that small amount of fragmentary argument for "undeterrable rogues" - none has made any sense to me. Except as a pretext for supporting a program motivated for other reasons -- reasons other than any valid defense of the US - since the proposals are so technically (and diplomatically) flawed.

Every one of the questions that James Dao quotes Senators as raising in ... Skeptical Senators Question Rumsfeld on Missile Defense http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/22/politics/22MILI.html remain valid questions today.

rshowalter - 11:11pm Jul 18, 2001 EST (#7185 of 7185)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD7145 rshowalter 7/17/01 7:15pm ... MD7146 rshowalter 7/17/01 7:33pm
MD7148 rshowalter 7/17/01 8:20pm

Back in the morning.

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