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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 - 01:49pm Sep 7, 2001 EST (#8605 of 8614)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD3946 rshowalter 5/15/01 7:23pm ... MD3947 rshowalter 5/15/01 7:40pm

I think that gisterme , and some distinguished advisors to CSIS as well, make some terrible assumptions.

MD8554 rshowalter 9/6/01 6:49am ... MD8553 rshowalter 9/6/01 6:26am
MD8324 rshowalter 9/2/01 1:42pm

almarst-2001 - 04:44pm Sep 7, 2001 EST (#8606 of 8614)

The Cold War helped to promote the technological progress. But the HOT war did so even faster. If the technological progress is the most importand and desirable goal of the Human Civilization we should all salute the Hitler today...

In my view, as mentioned before, the technological progress holds as much promise as a danger. But the dangerous results are always much easier to achieve... and got funded much more generously too.

rshowalter - 04:50pm Sep 7, 2001 EST (#8607 of 8614)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

We have to choose what technical progress we make, and how we use it.

And what we permit to be done.

There are plenty of opportunities that would be on the side of life, not death.

rshowalter - 04:51pm Sep 7, 2001 EST (#8608 of 8614)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Kremlin Willing to Review Missile Accords, Aide Says by PATRICK E. TYLER http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/07/international/europe/07MISS.html

MOSCOW, Sept. 6 — A senior Russian official said today that Moscow was willing to consider amendments to the "present-day system of agreements on strategic stability" with the United States, but he insisted that the Antiballistic Missile Treaty of 1972 had to be preserved in negotiations that were quite likely to be long- term and complex.

"The statement, carried by the Interfax news agency, was in response to reports from Washington that quoted a senior administration official who suggested that Russia was on the verge of accepting an American proposal to amend the ABM treaty and allow more rigorous American missile shield tests.

"The back-and-forth megaphone diplomacy between Moscow and Washington over Mr. Bush's plans and the constraints imposed by the treaty have been increasing against the backdrop of intense pressure from the White House to win Russian concessions on the treaty in a matter of months. Concessions would spare Mr. Bush the risky step of withdrawing from the treaty unilaterally, an act that many European leaders and members of Congress oppose.

"In recent days, Russia has avoided repeating earlier warnings that a decision to withdraw would negate 30 years of arms control accords and force Russia to maintain multiple warheads on its current arsenal of strategic missiles, as well as planning a new generation of missile with multiple warheads.

"Experts here said Moscow's restraint was intended to keep international attention focused on the choice facing Mr. Bush to go it alone in the new strategic era or to work jointly with Europe, Russia and China to build a new strategic framework.

"A senior administration official, briefing reporters on Wednesday in Washington, asserted that the Russian leadership saw the American deployment of missile defenses as inevitable and that therefore President Vladimir V. Putin and President Bush might reach a tentative agreement by November that would allow the Pentagon to go ahead with new missile defense tests.

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