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Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

rshowalter - 06:11pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4770 of 4793)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD4670 rshowalter 6/9/01 6:55pm MD4671 rshowalter 6/9/01 7:13pm

MD4675 rshowalter 6/9/01 8:16pm ... MD4676 rshowalter 6/9/01 8:22pm
MD4677 rshowalter 6/9/01 8:28pm

MD4693 rshowalter 6/10/01 1:08pm ... MD4699 rshowalter 6/10/01 3:56pm

rshowalter - 06:14pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4771 of 4793)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I think these references offer interesting perspective when they are considered together :

MD4701rshowalter 6/10/01 5:07pm

along with

Refusing to Save Africans by BOB HERBERT http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/11/opinion/11HERB.html ;

Dark Side of U.S. Quest for Security: Squalor on an Atoll by HOWARD W. FRENCH http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/11/world/11ISLA.html?0611

; and

BLAINE HARDEN's In Virginia, Young Conservatives Learn How to Develop and Use Their Political Voices http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/11/politics/11CONS.html

If Americans could simple admit, at least to themselves, that they weren't angels -- that they didn't have all the answers --- and that they have made mistakes, both of judgement and morality --- then there would be a lot more hope. And especially if Americans could understand their own needs, and the needs of others.

The world could stop most of its fighting, we'd all be richer, it would be more comfortable . . . . and the world could survive.

Now, the US is peddling so many pretenses and fictions, one after another, with many linked together -- that the world is a much worse mess than it needs to be -- and a far more dangerous place than it has to be.

alty53 - 06:36pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4772 of 4793)

Poor dirac 10......point 1: if dirac 10 took off his hat, he would see the point.....point 2: after 70 billion dollars, no missile has ever been shot down by another missile (including Patriot and SCUD missiles),....point 3: putting hundreds or even thousands of nuclear tipped missiles on space platforms will not make us more secure but will certainly increase the probability of accidental war or make a pre-emptive strike more likely....point 4: if you think the present world strategic aliances will last forever or even into the next 20 years, you have already forgotten the last 12 years ......point 5: why not have a real debate about nuclear tipped missiles in space rather than a phony debate about shooting down missiles with missiles.....Point 6. you and your reactionary ilk like to keep the waters muddied up with your ditto-head Hollywood notions of strategic warfare, thereby allowing your business pals to go to the Pentagon and suckle at the teats of the middle and working class tax payer.

almarst-2001 - 06:54pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4773 of 4793)

Whithout intention to participate in discussion until have somthing new to say, here is a link to one of the Russian media outlet to for the "freedom-of-the-press testing";) And, on the way, (especially today vis-a-vis McVain)- to remember:

TWO YEARS SINCE TERMINATION OF YUGOSLAVIA'S BOMBARDMENT BY NATO AIRCRAFTS - http://english.pravda.ru/main/2001/06/10/7452.html

Sunday marked the second anniversary since bombardment of the Yugoslavian territory by NATO aircrafts lasting for 11 weeks (from 24 March till 10 June 1999) was over. The exact number of bombardment casualties has not been announced yet. According to the available estimates, from 1,200 to 2,500 people were killed by Alliance servicemen and 5,000 people were wounded. 79 children are known to have been killed. The Alliance air war was started after two rounds of negotiations in France regarding the Kosovo crisis settlement ended in failure. In the opinion of the Western military, bombardments were supposed to stop the exodus of Albanian population from Kosovo. According to the statement made by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on May 31, 1999, approximately 1 million Albanians left Kosovo since 1998. As a result of the military operation nicknamed "The Merciful Angel", the infrastructure of Yugoslavia, industrial enterprises, schools, hospitals, mass media premises, monuments of culture and other objects were severely damaged during 78 days of bombardments. According to unofficial information, the "angel" caused damages amounting to USD 30 billion. Dragoljub Ojdanic, former Chief of the Yugoslavian army General Staff, indicated that in the course of the NATO aggression 524 Yugoslavian servicemen were killed, 37 still being considered missing in action. Bombardments were stopped on 10 June 1999 after signing of the Military and technical agreement between NATO and Yugoslavia regarding the withdrawal of Yugoslavian Army and police from Kosovo. Two days later the first to enter Kosovo were Russian peace-keeping forces from the composition of the international peace-keeping contingent for Kosovo (KFOR). After the troops were brought in, 200,000 Serbs and Gypsies left Kosovo and 800,000 Albanians came back.

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