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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

almarst2003 - 10:19pm Apr 29, 2003 EST (# 11427 of 11500)

"So what happened, American [troops] took control of [Al-Rashid] on April 8th. And what residents of this area are telling us is that since then, Americans started exploding what [ammunition] was left by Saddam Hussein in this Al-Rashid camp, which is next door to this area. And the [residents] were complaining that every day there were a lot of explosions in this camp, and they were very, very anxious about their safety and security. And now today, what happened in the early morning -- around 0600, somebody says; somebody else says around 0700 local time -- four missiles were launched from this Al-Rashid camp, which is controlled by Americans and where the Americans had just confirmed 80 missiles left by Saddam Hussein were located. So residents say four of these missiles were launched from this Al-Rashid camp and one of them hit this Teachers' Neighborhood, and three or four houses were completely destroyed and another three were partly destroyed."

Question: The U.S. Army says the ammunition dump was attacked by what it called "hostile forces," who fired four flares into the dump. You spoke to a U.S. Army official -- Colonel John Peabody, the commanding officer of the 11th Engineering Brigade. He repeated that the ammunition dump had been attacked. What other details did he provide?

Eshanova: "By whom, he couldn't say -- he just said 'by people who don't like us, who don't like their own people.' So he said that the stockpile was attacked. But residents say these explosions are usually made by Americans [purposely], so there is confusion about what happened exactly. What is the result is that several houses are completely destroyed, and locals say the number of casualties is more than 40. Americans say it's 20, and under the rubble there could be more, and so the number of casualties will grow, definitely."

Question: Of those numbers, how many are dead and how many injured?

Eshanova: "The numbers put by locals is 16 confirmed dead in the hospitals and dozens of injured people. The number put by the American officer is 20, but he didn't elaborate [how many dead and how many injured]. But he added that now American soldiers are working to clean the rubble and there are definitely more people [buried underneath] and definitely the number [of casualties] will grow. He said so."

http://rferl.org/nca/features/2003/04/26042003155810.asp

jorian319 - 10:25pm Apr 29, 2003 EST (# 11428 of 11500)

Nice to have you back almarst. I see the gloom and doom business is still producing prodigiously. Are you not worried that your supply might someday outstrip demand?

lchic - 10:30pm Apr 29, 2003 EST (# 11429 of 11500)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Baring in mind that Iraq has been relieved of a relentless dictator who derived joy from inflicting real pain and death on the people of Iraq ...

A question to ask is why don't Iraqi people get on with the clean-up and return to regular life

Contrast the way the mice kept their quiet with the Tyrant, with the way they now 'blame' the liberating forces for everything ---- rather than getting down to post war improvements

If they've ever seen a movie or tv drama, then they'd know that reckless firepower is a part of the US culture

If they got themselves into organising themselves rather than baiting the US they'd move further forward faster

Isn't the first rule to 'respect' soldiers with guns with real live amnuition ...

Most of these soldiers are kids who are afraid for themselves --- don't the civillians see that ??

fredmoore - 12:16am Apr 30, 2003 EST (# 11430 of 11500)

'Most of these soldiers are kids who are afraid for themselves --- don't the civillians see that ?? '

Now that's diaphanous!

From the get go the coalition needed to use PSi-ops in civ-mil interactions. All we hear is : "It's not our job ... we're here to get the bad guys."

Without anyone letting their guard down, there are certain types of films and music which can bridge the gap between civilians and the military. This has the advantage of making the sleeper Bathists stand out like Dog's B*lls. With the sleepers weeded out the reconstruction can accelerate, ending the dumb cycle of violence.

Civ-Mil interactions are a dance .... both sides need to learn the steps.

Now ... who's up for the 'Tommy two-step'?

lchic - 03:44am Apr 30, 2003 EST (# 11431 of 11500)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Interesting 'paper work' turning up showing how people 'dobbed' each other in to the Bathists ...

Partners, family, friends, social and work connections ... all reporting in --- afraid that if they didn't they'd be picked up by the Bathist-Police ...

How to turn a civil state into a nightmare-police state .... Saddam must have been well tutored!

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