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 [F] New York Times on the Web Forums  / Science  /

    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.


Earliest Messages Previous Messages Recent Messages Outline (9941 previous messages)

rshow55 - 06:12pm Mar 14, 2003 EST (# 9942 of 9979) Delete Message
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.

gisterme - (# 9937

Robert -

I doubt that Saddam is dead...

The question matters so much, in so many ways, that a responsible leader should find ways to make sure.

If Saddam is dead, a lot of tactics and negotiating tactics change. And if that can be proved, the resistance of Iraqi forces can be radically reduced . That whole country is organized around personal loyalty to Saddam. It matters a great deal - thousands of lives hinge on the question of whether or not he is dead.

You should check. You should care about that answer.

I'd expect that, if the US government asked for CBS News tapes, and did some homework - it could know for sure whether Rather met with a double. If he did, that should tell you a lot.

A lot that could save many, many lives. It would be cheap to find out the answer - and it is irresponsible not to determine the answer to questions so decisive as this one.

rshow55 - 06:23pm Mar 14, 2003 EST (# 9943 of 9979) Delete Message
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.

If the United States invades a nation to unseat a villian who is dead - when it should have known it was doing that, but didn't - - it will be a disaster for the credibility of the United States that will take decades to live down, and will be laughed about for centuries.

If the United States has any good reason to believe Saddam is dead - it should collect its evidence, and the old challenge from Saddam to debate Bush should be accepted .

That could lead to a great triumph for the cause of decency and freedom - and save a lot of lives.

How much resistance from Iraqi soldiers do you think there would be after that lie was exposed? Not much. (I'm assuming Saddam is dead. ) Also, the US may have attributed all sorts of malicious, hateful motives to Iraq when the fact is that you've been dealing with a terrified, muddled conspiracy that couldn't possibly admit what it has done to its own people.

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