What does the United States government want with a missile defence system?
Supporters of the system say the US needs to defend itself against rogue states launching missiles at it. Yet whilst missile technologies are spreading and weapons of mass destruction present a grave threat to us all, it is extremely unlikely that any state would use a missile to attack the US. Missile launches can be traced immediately and would provoke a devastating response from the US. How much would it cost? According to the US Congressional Budget Office (visit http://64.177.207.201/pages/8_277.html for more info), the system will cost between $158 billion and $238 billion, whether or not it can be made to work. US military spending exceeded $400 billion in 2003, accounting for nearly half of global military expenditure, whilst 11 million children die every year from preventable causes arising from poverty (World Health Organisation figures), itself a major cause of present and future war. So what is missile defence really for? The US wants to use the system to project power over
