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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?

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lchic - 11:13am Oct 26, 2002 EST (# 5243 of 5256)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Chechnya: Is Russia in the wrong?

Transcript
Monday, 21 February, 2000, 16:14 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/forum/634198.stm

Zoya T, Russia: Mr. Margelov, what are the casualties from both sides? How do you react to the reports about killings of Chechen civilians?

Mikhail Margelov: We accept the fact that there is collateral damage during the anti-terrorist operation and we can talk about hundreds of civilians who could suffer. But we can not give any exact numbers because the operation has not ended yet and even today we do not have reliable information. Of course there is a lot of speculation about this topic, but what is really important here is that Russia is not fighting against the Chechens as a nation, and civilians are not the target.

lchic - 11:15am Oct 26, 2002 EST (# 5244 of 5256)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

collateral

http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=collateral%20

lchic - 11:21am Oct 26, 2002 EST (# 5245 of 5256)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

An interesting fact over past days was the request by Chechans

TO TALK WITH RUSSIA

Of course this was from an extreme situation .... but ... had there been talks and negotiation could the Theatre incident have been avoided?

What is the real past 'truth' in relation to Chechnya ...

A future truth seems to be the desire on the part of Russia to genocide what's left of that nation.

Shouldn't the UN go in and settle this matter - the Chechans are not Terrorists per say ... rather ... they are a cultural group fighting for their country - which gets forgotten.

lchic - 11:25am Oct 26, 2002 EST (# 5246 of 5256)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

LOSS OF FACE

Does talking cause 'loss of face' ?

Saddam didn't manage to-talk to the USA over recent years ... even though he may have complied with demands to take down selected weapons.

His dogged 'not-talking' stance may have lead to the deaths of 1/4m Iraqi children.

Why didn't America appreciate the psychology ... especially when America has so much psychology (studies/industry).

rshow55 - 11:31am Oct 26, 2002 EST (# 5247 of 5256)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

That's a big question.

In the immediate situation - Putin may well have done the best anyone could have.

67 Hostages Killed in Pre-Dawn Raid That Ends 3-Day Standoff By MICHAEL WINES and SABRINA TAVERNISE http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/26/international/europe/26RUSS.html

Russian forces recaptured the theater from Chechen guerrillas today as 67 hostages and 34 militants, including the rebel leader, were killed.

• Slide Show: The Pre-Dawn Raid . . • Graphic: Executions, Then a Rush for Freedom ...• Terrifying Nights in a Theater

But the situation has been a gruesome, staining mess. And if Russia didn't know how to do better - it needs to learn. As America needs to learn some analogous lessons.

The Chechen War Comes Home By YEVGENIA ALBATS http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/26/opinion/26ALBA.html

Democracy cannot protect against all manifestations of terrorism, but an authoritarian regime clearly can do no better.

That same comment applies to Frank Rich's

What Al Qaeda Learned in D.C. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/26/opinion/26RICH.html

Certainly our enemies learned this month, as Warren Rudman puts it, "how easy this kind of terrorism is to carry out." Did we?

Some kinds of perfect security aren't possible - and with societies as they are, and human beings as they are.

So, for decency and reasonable safety - people have to find ways to communicate - negotiate - adjust - that can occur when there is time enough and logical room enough to keep things from getting out of hand.

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