Ballistic Missile Defense
With the end of the Cold War, "today's most urgent threat stems not from thousands of ballistic missiles in the Soviet hands, but from a small number of missiles in the hands of these states, states for whom terror and blackmail are a way of life. They seek weapons of mass destruction to intimidate their neighbors, and to keep the United States and other responsible nations from helping allies and friends in strategic parts of the world" (Bush 2001). "These states" refer to rogue states, such as Libya, Iran and North Korea. George W. Bush made this statement on May 1, 2001.
Even so, the next attack on the American highest ideal of liberty would be the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This event proved that the United States must be prepared for war. There are nations and groups that would seek to destroy the American way of life, which is symbolized in the ideals of democracy and freedom. "These states" will use any and all means available to them.
The means of war have changed and it is no longer simply swords and spears or even cannons and bullets, but sophisticated weaponry, such as ballistic missiles (Kennedy 2002). Without the strategic capability of a ballistic missile defense (BMD), these enemies can continue plans to acquire the technology to exploit the weaknesses in the defence of the North American continent. With the current emphasis on the terrorist threat, the rogue states can focus on plans to develop ballistic missiles. The possibility remains that "these states" might develop the technology and then share it with members of a terrorist group, such as al-Qaeda.
The development of a BMD is delegated to the Missile Defense Agency whose mission "is to develop an integrated, layered Ballistic Missile Defense System to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies and friends from ballistic missiles of all ranges and in all phases of flight" (MDA 2006). Hopefully, the need will never arise to utilize the BMD but the...
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