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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?

almarst-2001 - 01:20pm Sep 14, 2001 EST (#9045 of 9052)

Bin Laden in the Balkans - http://emperors-clothes.com/news/binl.htm

From the 'The Washington Times' June 22, 2001

"The rebels would have their big brothers in America - the same heroes who led the NATO mission against their enemies, the Serbs - believe that the violence they are now perpetrating in Macedonia is merely about protecting minority rights. But the National Liberation Army (NLA), a splinter of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), also has another motive: It is fighting to keep control over the region's drug trafficking, which has grown into a large, lucrative enterprise since the Kosovo war. In addition to drug money, the NLA also has another prominent venture capitalist: Osama bin Laden. The Muslim terrorist leader, according to a document obtained by The Washington Times and written by the chief commander of the Macedonian Security Forces, puts out the front money for the rebel group through a representative in Macedonia: 'This person is representative of Osama Ben laden sic , who is the main financial supporter of the National Liberation Army, where up to date he has paid $6 million to $7 million for the needs of the National Liberation Army.'"

almarst-2001 - 01:29pm Sep 14, 2001 EST (#9046 of 9052)

"In the words of William Saffire writing in the New York Times: "When we reasonably determine our attackers' bases and camps, we must pulverize them – minimizing but accepting the risk of collateral damage" - http://www.antiwar.com/rep/chuss10.html

rshowalter - 01:30pm Sep 14, 2001 EST (#9047 of 9052)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Yes, almarst , you're right.

Americans aren't consistent, any more than Russians are, and they are often very blind to how they appear to others.

I think the points you've made on this thread are vital ones, and I hope they continue -- for the sake of the whole world.

There is some steadying going on. A televised "national prayer service" just ended. I watched most of it, and listened to the preaching and the praying -- though I took a little time to post here, as well.

If the standards and ideals of that service were more consistently honored by Americans, your concerns, almarst, could be met, and we'd live in a better, safer, richer world.

Americans have to see "the bad side" of things they've done -- which I agree with almarst , have sometimes been very bad, with wrenching consequences for MANY people -- many more than the 5000 peole tragically murdered on Tuesday.

If Americans we did see the bad aspects of what they'd done as a nation -- the good things about American would be strengthened, and we could win a war on terror -- as almarst defines it, in a definition I like very much.

There has been an enormous amount of discussion about nuclear disarmament, and the interdependent problems of a stable, workable, real peace on this thread. The connections to missile defense have usually been quite direct -- the dialog on missile defense is embedded in a larger nexus of issues.

The main barrier to peace, and victory against the forces of terror, the "showstopper," is that Americans need a change of heart --- they need to see some things they haven't been willing to admit, to see, and to hold themselves decently responsible for.

If they did, there would be reasonable hope to defeat the forces of terror - - in the ways that will actually be necessary -- including central concerns that Thomas Friedman spoke of today.

If we had the respect of the decent majority of the world - in ways we now lack --- I think we'd have plenty of strength to do it - - and many "win-win" situations, now classified out of existence, would become possible.

rshowalter - 01:31pm Sep 14, 2001 EST (#9048 of 9052)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

almarst-2001 9/14/01 1:29pm

There will be some collateral damage. But we have to do a lot better, in a lot of ways, than Safire suggests.

rshowalter - 01:31pm Sep 14, 2001 EST (#9049 of 9052)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Something new and hopeful has happened, ugly as things are.

People are paying attention, worldwide.

lunarchick - 01:35pm Sep 14, 2001 EST (#9050 of 9052)
lunarchick@www.com

[ http://www.abc.net.au/rn/usa.htm ]

rshowalter - 01:40pm Sep 14, 2001 EST (#9051 of 9052)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

The rest of the world ought not to simply defer to the wishes of the United States. Or let propaganda go unanswered, or unnoticed. almarst-2001 9/14/01 1:20pm

That would be a great mistake. A mistake that I don't believe is going to happen.

I hope that Russians, and many other people in NATO who have been unhappy with the attidudes expressed in pieces like

. FLYING INTO TURBULENCE By: Peter Martin http://www.intellnet.org/news/articles/peter.martin.flying.into.turbulence.html

can explain to leaders of the United States what it actually takes, for the United States to function as one leader, among a number, in a real, workable, world community.

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