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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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rshow55 - 06:24pm Nov 19, 2002 EST (# 5976 of 5978)
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.

U.N. Arms Team Taking Up Its Task By WILLIAM J. BROAD http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/19/international/middleeast/19INSP.html is associated with a great picture that was on the NYT front page today:

"The chief United Nations arms inspector, Hans Blix, center, with glasses, and the nuclear inspector, Mohamed ElBaradei, second from left, were greeted on Monday by Iraqi officials as the team arrived in Baghdad." http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2002/11/18/international/19insp.jpg

rshow55 - 07:07pm Nov 19, 2002 EST (# 5977 of 5978)
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.

This set of postings will be my last tonight. It seems to me that things are going very well - - and when that happens, I have a lot of anxiety - and a desire to back off - and watch.- and worry about stability. My mind tells me things are going very well. As long as people stay rested enough - careful enough - and controlled enough - a lot of good things could happen.

Different people may have different views. But to me, the pace seems just right , or if anything - just a click too fast. The level of carefulness may be just right, too. It is a hopeful time - if people stay careful. I liked what was said in this article, and the way it was said, by both the UN representatives, and the Iraqi representatives, Iraq's Foreign Minister Naji Sabri and President Saddam Hussein's adviser General Amir al-Saadi.

Iraq Says It Will Meet Disclosure Deadline of Dec. 8 By REUTERS Filed at 4:19 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-iraq.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq vowed Tuesday to produce a full account of its weapons program by Dec. 8 and said U.N. arms inspectors would be given unfettered access to all sites across the country.

. . . . `They are working on that declaration and they will produce it by December 8,'' Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said after meeting Iraqi officials in Baghdad.

. . . . Under a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted on Nov. 8, the first big test is a Dec. 8 deadline for Iraq to submit a full account of all banned weapons programs. By Jan. 27 the inspectors must have given their first report to the Security Council.

. . .

``So we look forward to starting inspections in about a week time,'' Blix said, adding that the Iraqi government was anxious for the inspections to start immediately.

"ElBaradei said that if Iraq were to cooperate fully in all respects ``we can foresee that we will be able to report within one year to the Security Council that Iraq has fulfilled the requirements of Resolution 1284 for suspension of sanctions.''

It the stances reported are true - as they seem to be, this is excellent diplomacy, excellent public relations, good business, and good work in the defense of Iraq. Perhaps the report ElBaradei refers to can be done in less time. Considering the money involved - that would be to Iraq's advantage. But if the report can be done in a year - once people involved are confident that the report can be made - Iraq, and other countries, can reasonably plan for a peaceful and prosperous future starting now.

It that is the way things unfold, the prospects for peace and prosperity for the whole world will be much greater than anyone could have reasonably forseen just a few weeks ago.

5571 rshow55 11/10/02 7:52am ... 5572 rshow55 11/10/02 8:37am

As things are unfolding - though much could go wrong - there remains time for a lot of things to get better - step by step. In ways that are honorable, and will be seen as honorable centuries from now. From many points of view.

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