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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.

gisterme - 10:30pm Dec 14, 2002 EST (# 6613 of 6649)

manjumicha 12/13/02 9:28pm

"...Like a big giant goliath going down after losing an eye...it won't be pretty after that...sure NK will go out in flame..."

Well, manju, it sounds like you've got the strategy worked out already; so why were you asking for ideas? Have you been suspecting you're a bit short on imagination? Do tell. :-)

gisterme - 10:45pm Dec 14, 2002 EST (# 6614 of 6649)

manjumicha 12/13/02 9:28pm

"...Btw, you are not really serious about the nuclear subs being "stealth", are you?..."

Well, manju, it's just like this. Although I'll admit to being a bit generous by including the Chinese submarine in the stealth category, modern SSBNs are by far the stealthiest, widest-ranging and most powerful mobile ballistic missile launching platforms there are.

Manju, I'll bet you couldn't tell me for sure if there were none, one or a dozen of those boats in any particular ocean. That's a bet I know you wouldn't take and I couldn't prove if you did.

That's stealthy enough for me.

gisterme - 11:03pm Dec 14, 2002 EST (# 6615 of 6649)

"...experience has shown that sanctions can have a highly negative impact on civilian populations, especially children and women..."

duhhuh! Especially when the leadership in the nation where the sanctions are applied has little interest in the well-being of his people. "Sanctions" are not "embargos". Iraq has been allowed enough trade to feed its people and even grow its civil economy a bit.

Unfortunately, that wealth allowed under the sanctions to prevent suffering by the Iraqi people has instead been spent by Saddam on stuff like funding terrorists, rewarding homicide bombers' families, training terrorists, buying arms and building presidential palaces. Of course funding used for development and proliferation of WMD comes from the same pot.

That's nobody's fault but Saddam's; however, I think it won't be an issue much longer since as Mr. Anan pointed out, the UN feels that sanctions aren't working and, being a method of the past, implies that they won't be used more by the UN in the future. I wonder what alternative he has in mind. Hmmm.

Hopefully those kids in Iraq will be eating well again soon.

manjumicha - 11:21pm Dec 14, 2002 EST (# 6616 of 6649)

gisterme

You know, your word games is, frankly speaking, quite boring. And i will just leave you to stew in your own vomit.....enjoy and adios.

lunarchick - 11:32pm Dec 14, 2002 EST (# 6617 of 6649)

Iraq children

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=children+sanctions+iraq+death&btnG=Google+Search

gisterme - 11:36pm Dec 14, 2002 EST (# 6618 of 6649)

commondata 12/14/02 5:24am

"...Ah Gisterme! Even though my laptop was in another room I heard the insistent call of a babbling infant..."

Just in case you don't know, infants stop doing that if you feed them something worth eating. Maybe you should try that on yours.

"...In 1998 there was widespread belief within the IAEA, within the UN, among the inspectors and virtually everywhere else beyond Washington that Iraq no longer presented a threat to the international community. What evidence do you have to the contrary?..."

I'd say my best evidence that the UN feels that Iraq remains a threat is the recent 15-0 vote in the UN security council requiring Iraq to comply with heretofore ignored UN resolutions by disarming.

Seems like pretty solid evidence to me. What evidence do you have to prove that Iraq is no longer a threat, commondata? Saddam's "say so"?

gisterme - 11:41pm Dec 14, 2002 EST (# 6619 of 6649)

almarst2002 12/14/02 3:38pm

"The power breeds arrogance which breeds disaster."

Ahhh. The lesson forgotten by Saddam and Osama. Thanks for reiterating that almarst.

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