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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 - 09:40pm Jul 26, 2001 EST (#7481 of 7502)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Another big day of NYT coverage on Missile Defense, and related issues.

Areas of U.S., Europe Disagreements By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-US-Europe-Disagreements.html Some areas where the United States and Europe disagree

Talk of U.S. Isolationism Increasing By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-US-Europe-Rift.html

Threat From Democrats on Missile Test Plans By JAMES DAO http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/politics/26MISS.html Democrats are contending that Congress never appropriated financing for a new missile defense test site in Fort Greely, Alaska

Military Budget Creates Rift in G.O.P. By JAMES DAO http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/politics/26MILI.html The debate over Pentagon spending has exposed a deep split within the Republican Party's conservative wing

A Missile Shield, Deconstructed http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/opinion/L26MISS.html

North Korean Leader on a Train to Moscow By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/international/26KORE.html North Korea's secretive leader, Kim Jong Il, crossed into eastern Russia, the first part of a railroad journey for a two-day visit.to Moscow

Powell: U.S. Set for N. Korea Talks By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Powell.html HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- On his way to South Korea, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday the United States is prepared to meet with leaders of North Korea ``any time and any place'' with any issues on the table

Scholars Freed Before Powell Visit to Beijing By JANE PERLEZ http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/international/26DIPL.html China paroled two U.S.-based scholars convicted of espionage, opening the door to their return home. This facilitates Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to China later this week

lunarchick - 05:54am Jul 27, 2001 EST (#7482 of 7502)
lunarchick@www.com

ASEAN - Colin Powell - makes a hit Kareoking the Japanese foreign minister, Oz foreign minister sings up a storm.
- - - - - - - -
Powell is less than impressed with China re their kidnapping scholars to release as a gesture prior to negotiated visitations.
' heard report that the Rice-Party has at least three economists ... suggesting again that TRADE is the big number in Moscow.
147 million population size of Russia.
In that zone i'd guess that China will be WTO certified, Russia looking for it, eventually North Korea also.
Not sure what the conditions are to get WTO certified. Obviously a legal structure that has respect for patents and copyrights comes into it.

rshowalter - 06:27am Jul 27, 2001 EST (#7483 of 7502)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

A major part of the Cold War was social and economic isolation of communist states -- by all means, direct and indirect -- and, in some very significant ways, the Communist states worked to isolate themselves.

For many and diverse reasons.

Whatever the justifications or reasons in the past, the fact of isolation, and mutual misunderstanding, exists and must be dealt with, for many reasons.

It seems that progress is being made, or problems in the way of progress being defined, in that area.

A fact that should facilitate good relations is becoming clear. Russia, in economic terms, might be able to do very well indeed, if it had good relations with all other countries except the United States.

Isolation that carries real costs is a problem for Russia, but it is a potential problem for the United States, as well.

Ideally, Russia might come to have good, effective economic relations world wide - with patterns of complex cooperation that work. In the last few months, progress in that direction seems to have been made - at a rate that looks fast, and on enough fronts that the progress looks solid.

If so, the reasons for military concern, on all sides, would decrease. The Republican right wing has many people who are for a totally domineering, unstoppable, unconstrained US military. These people have reasons, that make sense to them. Those reasons are at least in part connected to bodies (or shreds) of "evidence" -- and getting rid of the facts tending to justify military confrontation will weaken the arguments and the motivations of these people.

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