GTCharlie:

Thanks for posting that. The "missile defense shield" is probably one of the biggest scams in history. The idea is to convince governments around the world of participating in a huge system of missile detection and interception aimed at defending Europe, North America and Japan from missile attackes from potentially threatening enemies.

On paper the idea sounds fine. You put a lot of radar systems, computers, missiles and satellites to intercept missiles. In reality the thing is a big scam because the system does not work and all that it will do is make taxpayers spend a lot of money to fatten the pockets of defense contractors.

People have forgotten an incident that happened early during the war in Iraq in 2003. A British Harrier fighter jet was shot down by patriot missiles automatically launched from Kuwait. The American air force was testing automated missile interception systems since they feared that Saddam Hussain could launch Scud missiles at their positions. Instead of intercepting anything, this was written down as a case of "friendly fire".

Field tests of the system have failed repeatedly over the years. The people designing the system insist tha as the technology gets better they will get it to work. Defense contractors working on this wanted the Bush administration to earmark $1.5 trillion for "research" and for setting up a big array of radars on the North American west coast. However, the funding did not materialize because of teh mounting cost of the war in Iraq, and the refusal of the Canadian government to spend money in an unproven system. However, the sentiment in the Canadian government has changed now tht we have a Conservative prime minister.

All of this is part of the old "Star Wars" program that started during the Reagan administration. When George H.W. Bush lost the reelection of 1992, all plans were halted by the incoming Clinton administration. The end of the Soviet Union and improving economic relations with China made the Clinton administration change its stance and they scrapped the program. However, the new Bush administration in 2001 decided to look into the system again and it was the war in Iraq that halted progress into what probably would be the biggest waste of taxpayer money in history.

The biggest problem with this is that a new weapons race could start if the US decides to insist on building this system. Russia, China and other countries have already warned that if the US puts this missile interception system in place, then they will create their own and they will resume rocket development and surface nuclear testing, two things that had slowed down after decades of negotiation. $1.5 trillion is no small amount of money and it might not be enough if the system proves unreliable in the face of ever improving rocket and stealth technology.