National Missile Defense: Responsible National Security Strategy or the Final Throes of Cold War Mentality

摘要

In a matter of minutes on September 11, 2001, the strategic environment for the United States changed significantly and permanently. After the initial reactions of shock, compassion, and patriotism, Congress and the American public began to ask the hard questions. They wanted to know why the most powerful and technologically advanced nation in history had failed to detect and protect itself from this new threat. It is not within the scope of this paper to answer all of those questions. Rather, it will critically analyze whether the development of a national missile defense system is the best use of our national resources to protect the territory of the United States and the lives of our citizens.