senal that they could have launched, but they consciously choose not to use it. This is a clear sign that even rogue states recognize the consequences of the use of weapons of mass destruction.Since these potential threats are improbable, the research and deployment of a NMD system would not be necessary. Seeking deterrence diplomatically would serve the U.S.’s best interest in the long run. If the U.S. does decide to deploy the NMD system, they have failed in their obligation to the international community. The United States should only deploy the NMD system after all the possible alternatives to deter these rogue states have been exhausted.The Pentagon has placed a deadline for the NMD deployment by 2005 because that is when the CIA predicts the North Koreans will have achieved inter-continental ballistic missile technology capable of striking U.S. soil. (Karon) This speedy schedule has left the missile defense system with its fair share of technological problems. A troubling factor is the technology in the NMD system originated from the Patriot missile system that is used to intercept anti-aircrafts. Utilized in the Gulf War, the success of the Patriot missiles was highly ineffective when it made a total of four intercepts during the Gulf War but saw twenty-six Army soldiers killed in a barrack when a Scud missile strike. (Baliga)The complex NMD project is sometimes described as “trying to hit a bullet with a bullet” may not be technologically feasible. Numerous missile tryouts have consistently failed to hit the dummied target with problems ranging from a minor glitch in the battery unit to “near misses”. With a steep estimated cost of $68 billion for the entire project, the Department of Defense will have a hard time explaining these “near misses” when a real missile crashes into an American city. The combination of the lack of technology and the costly $68-billion price tag are j...
