TechTV Silicon Spin December 18, 2001
Missile Defense Fallout
The following guests appear on "Silicon Spin" on Tuesday, December 18, at 3 p.m. Eastern:
John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org
Jeff Baxter, advisor to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization
In the midst of major news about the release of the Osama bin Laden tape, President Bush announced on Thursday that the United States would withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, allowing the US to develop a missile defense shield.
Despite the distraction of other more pressing world events, the move worried leaders around the globe. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Bush's decision a "mistake," while Chinese officials cautioned the US government to consider the views of other nations. Other political analysts say the US withdrawal could even lead to an international arms race.
However, President Bush doesn't seem to care what other nations think. In fact, Bush said withdrawing from the treaty was his duty as commander in chief. "Defending the American people is my highest priority as commander in chief," he said. "I cannot and will not allow the United States to remain in a treaty that prevents us from developing effective defenses."
The ABM Treaty was formed in 1972 between the Soviet Union and the United States. Its purpose was to ban the deployment of a nationwide missile defense system -- the exact sort of system Bush wants to build.
However, even though the political roadblocks to a missile defense shield have been overcome, experts say that real challenge is just beginning. Many military experts doubt the ability of the government to build such a complex system.
So far, trial runs of a prototype missile defense system have had mixed results at best. A trial run months ago over the Pacific was successful, but a recent test of the system failed.
Beyond these reliability concerns, some experts say that the United States would be better served pumping billions of dollars into systems that could protect the nation from other, more viable threats.
"It doesn't really address the threats we've seen just in the last couple of months, the threats of terrorism and nuclear materials and weapons that are not going to be shot on a ballistic missile but [instead] through much more basic means; that's the real issue," said Christopher Madison, board member of the Council for a Livable World.
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