New York Times on the Web Forums Science

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?

lunarchick - 04:00pm Aug 14, 2001 EST (#7875 of 7905)
lunarchick@www.com

ledzeppelin 8/14/01 8:58am Doubt that the Taliban will replace the exploded buddhas with a couple of press button singing humpbacks. Beached whales don't do well on sand ... their lungs collapse out of water. A 'kind' solution prescribed for one such beached off South Africa was to place explosives around it's head and detonate.

Back to the Japanese. Showing how in touch with their feelings they are:

The Japanese PM it seems, took his two children and gave them to his sister to rear, as he left is first wife - then six months pregnant. She thinks about her 'two children' every day of her life. The third child was never seen by the PM. And when that now PM was campaigning in the town the third child lives in - the now grown son - politely kept his distance. Saying he 'would like to meet' his father.

lunarchick - 04:00am Aug 15, 2001 EST (#7876 of 7905)
lunarchick@www.com

The News Hour has just covered the Russian view point from Alexis of the Duma re MD missile reduction .. on Thursday will cover Rumsfield.

lunarchick - 04:34am Aug 15, 2001 EST (#7877 of 7905)
lunarchick@www.com

Helping the world: I was talking to Bill Mollison today, he's been through Russia a while ago. Regards Russians as self-sufficient, competent and capable from a Nutritional and food growing sense. The guy has a great philosopy. Go to the first world, earn a pot of money, that in turn takes him through the third world. India for example, where folks can't afford fees. He's just back from the USA. (Browser gives 735 hits)

rshowalter - 04:56am Aug 15, 2001 EST (#7878 of 7905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Editorial:

Miscommunication in Moscow http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/15/opinion/15WED2.html

"After all the bonhomie between George W. Bush and Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, the frosty arms talks between American and Russian officials in Moscow this week were disappointing. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Mr. Putin seemed to speak past each other on the core issues. Mr. Putin sought specific numbers and timetables on American nuclear arms reductions and missile defense plans. Mr. Rumsfeld wanted to limit the conversation to vaguely defined consultations. It was just an opening dialogue, but it did not augur well for Mr. Bush's and Mr. Putin's declared plan to link talks on offensive and defensive weapons.

"After the two presidents conferred in Genoa in June, it appeared that Washington would seek to win Russian agreement to loosening the restrictions of the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty in exchange for significant reductions in both sides' offensive nuclear arsenals. That would allow both nations to enhance their security by eliminating unneeded cold- war weapons and by developing new missile defenses — without tossing out the ABM treaty, which has helped preserve the peace.

"Mr. Rumsfeld came to Moscow with a different brief. He seemed interested in only the broadest consultations, devoid of details. If that is all Mr. Bush intends, he would be passing up an important opportunity to achieve his goal of helping both countries move beyond their cold-war relationship.

"Even by the most optimistic technological assumptions, a reliable missile defense system is still years away, as are the threats it is meant to counter. Last month's successful interception of a dummy warhead was encouraging, but as additional details have been released, it has become clear that it was far from a realistic simulation of an enemy attack. A navigation beacon helped guide the interceptor rocket toward its target, only one decoy balloon accompanied the dummy warhead and the interceptor's "kill vehicle" was preprogrammed to distinguish the heat signature of the warhead from that of the decoy. An actual enemy missile would not make itself such an inviting target. By the Pentagon's own account, many technical problems must be solved before even a limited system can be built.

"The Bush administration should be working to promote further offensive reductions, instead of threatening to withdraw from the ABM treaty and risk initiating a new nuclear arms race. Washington and Moscow are no longer military foes. But the risks of plutonium theft or accidental launch through a breakdown of Russia's crumbling command and control networks are a real and continuing threat to American security.

"Washington needs to make a more serious effort to negotiate a deal with Moscow that links the future construction of missile defenses with immediate reductions in offensive missiles.

rshowalter - 05:01am Aug 15, 2001 EST (#7879 of 7905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

From the editorial:

A navigation beacon helped guide the interceptor rocket toward its target, only one decoy balloon accompanied the dummy warhead and the interceptor's "kill vehicle" was preprogrammed to distinguish the heat signature of the warhead from that of the decoy. An actual enemy missile would not make itself such an inviting target. By the Pentagon's own account, many technical problems must be solved before even a limited system can be built.

Working out those points in detail, informed by the Coyle report, and basic facts of physics and control technology -- makes it clear that "missile defense" is being grossly oversold.

As a program to guard against threats that can reasonably be expected it is no defense at all, but a boondoggle.

lunarchick - 05:23am Aug 15, 2001 EST (#7880 of 7905)
lunarchick@www.com

Interesting to note that the CIA inspired Talibhan have a few folks held - re teaching from the wrong book ... making world news. Whereas Marshall Islands: a couple of Australians - concerned re NukeTesting are up for .... ? ... Tresspass! If people are willing to put themselves in situations (for peace) that may invoke a prison sentence -- then these guys have strong feelings, regarding a 'safe' world, that have to be respected. http://www.stopstarwars.org/html/intro.html

(25 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense