sPrior to the election of 2000, presidential candidate George W. Bush campaigned with promises to bolster United States national security and strengthen the military. An essential element of his strategy for enhanced security was a National Missile Defense (NMD) system to protect the American 'homeland' from a ballistic missile attack. Bush felt that a combination of international and domestic factors had come together to give the country a unique opportunity to build and deploy such a system. Once in office, his administration moved aggressively to make this opportunity a reality. Critics of the NMD proposal, however, have been equally aggressive in their opposition and argue that the current initiative should be considered more of a 'threat' to national security than an 'opportunity.' The purpose of this paper is to first analyze the Bush administration's NMD proposal, then determine if it will serve as an effective component of the United States National Security Strategy. After a brief review of the NMD proposal, the paper will evaluate the initiative's strengths and weaknesses, and then conclude with recommendations on the future of NMD.
National Missile Defense: Opportunity or Threat
2002
13 pages
Report
No indication
English
Military Intelligence , Surface Launched Missiles , National security , Antimissile defense systems , Intercontinental ballistic missiles , National defense , Homeland defense , Guided missiles , Attack , Launching , Domestic , New jersey , President(United states) , Strength(General) , Ussr , United states , Nmd(National missile defense)
MISSILE DEFENSE - Missile defense threat to North America underscored
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