December 23, 2004 :: Analysis
The Riverside Press Enterprise newspaper here in California carried a timely editorial articulating the continued need for missile defense and putting into perspective the MDA’s recent attempt at a test, entitled, “Build the shield.”
Missile defense may seem like a Cold War relic, given the focus these days on terrorists and suitcase bombs. But it remains imperative to shield America from prospective missile attacks. Technical problems that grounded a test interceptor rocket last week do not diminish that need. Technology constantly improves. Meantime, the United States is vulnerable to missile attack or nuclear blackmail by rogue states or terrorist groups. The system under development now is far more modest than the space-based program Ronald Reagan pitched in the 1980s. It is intended to counter the rogue-state threat of a handful of missiles, not negate an apocalyptic exchange with another superpower. Today, the U.S. has to contend with not only Russia, but also China, North Korea and Iran, which are hustling to develop better and faster missiles of their own. North Korea’s Taepo Dong II missile can strike Alaska, Hawaii and parts of our west coast. Iran is working on a missile that defense experts believe could reach Europe and possibly the American Midwest. Terrorists also could lob a missile from a vessel anchored, say, 200 miles off the coast of New York City or LA. With the spotlight on Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s easy to forget that the war on terrorism has hundreds of fronts. Deploying an effective missile defense won’t make America invulnerable - but it’s one dimension of securing the most crucial front of all: the home front. (Article)
» More stories on: Analysis, Policy
