From the outset of his administration, President Bush insisted the United States develop a missile defense system. Neither the huge cost nor treaty complications would deter Bush from developing this system. The type of missile defense system being developed by the Bush administration employs sophisticated radar and computer systems in an attempt to destroy an incoming missile with an intercept missile launched from within the United States.

This system has several fatal flaws. First is the issue of reliability. During the first series of tests almost half of the time it failed to destroy the incoming missile. The estimated cost to deploy the system is over $100 billion dollars that does not include the ongoing cost to operate the system when it is operational. All of this however does not address the most important shortcoming of the Bush missile defense system, which is the lack of benefit from the system. There are almost no rogue states that have the capability of launching a nuclear weapon at the United States. In addition should a rogue state obtain a missile and nuclear warhead capable of attacking our nation, the second it lifted from its launch pad the rogue state would be history? Any and every tyrant that would think of using such a weapon against the most powerful nation on earth would be committing suicide. Therefore we are building a weapon system that will provide almost no real protection to the United States since the likelihood of fending off an attack by a rogue state is almost nonexistent. The Bush administration admits its missile defense system is not designed to destroy large numbers of missiles, and therefore does nothing to defend us against Russia or China.

The real danger from nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction is from terrorist groups bringing them into this country on planes or in shipping containers. More than two years after 9/11 we are still not inspecting shipping containers or cargo planes coming in to our nation. We seem to be able to find $100 billion dollars to build a nearly useless missile defense system but we don’t have the money to provide the manpower to inspect what comes in to our country.

If we are looking to develop a space-based weapon system, we need to concentrate on the high-energy laser systems not the bullet-to-bullet type anti missile systems being developed by Bush. Laser systems have the capability of attacking targets in the air, on the ground and on the water. In addition, they have the ability to be fired multiple times should the initial use fail to destroy the target. The system that Bush is spending $100 billion on is a one-shot deal. If that intercept missile fails to hit the enemy missile, we have no effective defense. Also, its use is limited to other missiles.

Happy Blizzard Day It's snowing here too, imagine that

- It snowed here going on 3 days Danny... Yuppers...that was quite enough for me, thank you very much!
Now....what's all this stuff about the US Missile Defense System by colgene?
What - does he agree with me....or does he just disagree with Bush...Hmmmmm
Guess I'll have to take his comments under consideration!!!