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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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almarst2002 - 03:55pm Feb 7, 2003 EST (# 8671 of 8674)

Humanitarian consequences of war - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2691475.stm

UN estimates

16 million or 60% of Iraqis dependent on government rations

Two million refugees expected (half inside Iraq)

500,000 people will need medical treatment in early stages of war

Two million children and one million pregnant or lactating women will need immediate "therapeutic feeding"

These dire warnings reflect widespread concerns over the effects that any US-led war could have on the Iraqi people.

They are based on previous experience and on studies of the current state of health of Iraqis and how they are getting food.

Despite these warnings, the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, has admitted to BBC News Online that its preparations are in the initial stages and "in terms of scope they are not really on a large scale".

During the 1991 Gulf War Turkey received 500,000 of the 1.8 million refugees went on the move. Nearly a million crossed into Iran.

The overall death toll among Iraqi civilians 12 years ago is hotly disputed. Estimates for civilian deaths as a direct result of the war range from 100,000 to 200,000.

In a sustained war this time around, the expectation among aid organisations and UN agencies is that the casualty and refugee figures will be higher because the aim of the war will be regime change.

All this assumes that non-conventional weapons or weapons of mass destruction are not used.

Should I assume Robert you are willing to put your signature under this?

I really expect a direct and honest answer.

rshow55 - 03:55pm Feb 7, 2003 EST (# 8672 of 8674)
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.

Almarst, if members of the Security Council wanted to make sure that some key questions of fact were checked - resources for doing it could be found - and much progress could be made.

It would take work - and some mechanism - to set facts out in a way that would meet, or at least approximate, the standards needed in a jury trial - and that would form the basis for journalistic efforts that would inform populations.

Sometimes there's no alternative to staffing - and sometimes - for important reasons - the staffing has to be associated with journalistic enterprises.

If leaders of nation states wanted this sort of thing to happen - money could be found, people could be found, and it would happen. The suggestion made in 180 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@93.IRS4aAOf2jE.1364239@.f28e622/213 has been repeated on this thread many times since the first days we talked in March 2001:

http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md00100s/md953_956b.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md01000s/md1039.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md01000s/md1439.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md01000s/md1632.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md01000s/md1840.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md2000s/md2008.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md2000s/md2064.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md2000s/md2914.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md6000s/md6932.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md8000s/md8293.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md8000s/md8331.htm

http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_new_0100s/md175n.htm http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_new_0100s/md469n.htm 5253-54 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@192.9xu7au66Vvv^50633@.f28e622/6599

There isn't necessarily a contradiction between the Bush administration's expressions of good intentions - and the negatives you so often point out. But there are some differences of point of view - some insensitivities - and a likelihood that mistakes of fact may be causing us to make bad decisions.

almarst2002 - 03:59pm Feb 7, 2003 EST (# 8673 of 8674)

lchic,

I am sure they will produce a very entertaining and suitable for kids evenings. Effectively squised between Coca-Cola and Budwiser commercials.

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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense