Strategic Weapons: May 15, 2001

Archives

President Bush and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld are pushing their plans for a missile defense system well beyond the limited plan of the previous administration. Former President Clinton had insisted that his plan was designed only to deal with the primitive missiles of Iran or North Korea which do not (at least currently) carry inert decoys that could distract an interceptor. The Bush Administration has scheduled wargames in which US interceptors have the ability to deal with such decoys (which are featured on Russian and Chinese missiles). The Chinese and Russians, who always felt that the defense system was aimed at them (or rather at their ability to deter US hegemony) are reportedly "concerned".--Stephen V Cole