New York Times on the Web Forums Science

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.

almarst2002 - 04:10pm May 29, 2003 EST (# 12167 of 12209)

Riot Chases Troops Out of Iraqi Town 'They were terrifying the women and children,' one protester says after U.S. soldiers search homes for weapons

http://www.latimes.com/la-fg-iraq29may29,0,5536638.story

almarst2002 - 04:16pm May 29, 2003 EST (# 12168 of 12209)

"They don't have a good explanation, and therefore are trying to come up with as long a list as possible," said Joseph Cirincione, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

"But it's impossible to destroy or hide the quantities the Administration said they had without our noticing it."

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/28/1053801444546.html

almarst2002 - 05:10pm May 29, 2003 EST (# 12169 of 12209)

China Turns to Russia for Military Edge http://www.nytimes.com/ref/international/CNN-BOX-ARTICLE.html

... in the wake of the triumph of Washington's perceived "neo-imperialism" in Iraq, quite a number of Hu's military and diplomatic advisers are concentrating on ways to counter-balance America's global preponderance.

mazza9 - 05:29pm May 29, 2003 EST (# 12170 of 12209)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

Jorian:

And I suppose that all these posts concerned "missile defense".

The fact that Saddam destroyed his weapons of mass destruction is the proof of the efficacy of our actions. The UN inspectors were fooled and bamboozled. Isn't it interesting that the mobile bio labs are squeaky clean! Had they been used for any approved manufacturing, like making beer or insecticide there would be traces of ths peaceful endeavour. Although the people of Bhopal found that "pure" insecticide is a powerful chem weapon, (18,000 dead due to a simple huan error).

With no trace elements of peaceful manufacture, we can assume that these facilities were used for nefarious purposes. This is simple Sherlockian deduction. Ipso Facto, No Saddam, No WMDs! We win and the world is a safer place. Case closed.

lchic - 07:05pm May 29, 2003 EST (# 12171 of 12209)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

back to basics

What was the purpose of Nuclear Missiles ?

Why were they seen as key ?

What is their downside ?

lchic - 07:11pm May 29, 2003 EST (# 12172 of 12209)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Hollywood and propaganda made a LOT of MrEinstein

http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Einstein.html

He wasn't very proud of the Nuclear aspect - who would be ?

ALBERT EINSTEIN NAMED TIME MAGAZINE'S MAN OF THE CENTURY

Mr Poster - What in terms of advancement of national and international grossNationalProduct GNP was his contribution ....

Is his position in history under or over stated ?

lchic - 07:15pm May 29, 2003 EST (# 12173 of 12209)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Villagers fall ill amid fears of nuclear contamination May 30 2003

Elifat Rusum Saber, 14, of Riyadh village, has been nauseated, tired and bleeding from the nose since her brother brought home metal and chemicals from the neighbouring Tuwaitha nuclear research centre two days after the fall of Baghdad.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/29/1054177672613.html

20 with similar symptoms - shortness of breath, nausea, severe nosebleeds and itchy rashes. He said several of the symptoms were consistent with acute radiation syndrome. "All of the patients live near the nuclear site," he said.

(36 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense