Obama jettisons missile shield plans

**LittleGrizzly** · 09-25-2009, 17:56

Its not so much that I see American or Russian nukes as threatening... it just give more legitimacy to coerce others into stopping or limiting thier nuclear capabilities if we are prepared to do the same...

**HoreTore** · 09-25-2009, 17:59

Originally Posted by LittleGrizzly

Its not so much that I see American or Russian nukes as threatening... it just give more legitimacy to coerce others into stopping or limiting thier nuclear capabilities if we are prepared to do the same...

The less there are in the world, the smaller the chance of one of them blowing up something.

**Tellos Athenaios** · 09-25-2009, 18:15

Plus I don't like the idea of the assorted expiration dates coming in rather fast. There is a difference between keeping a train on the track even if its 25 years past its technical lifetime; and doing so with nuclear warheads... Mind, those expiration dates are all about assuming that proper care & maintenance has been provided to ensure that the conditions were kept adequate.

**gaelic cowboy** · 09-25-2009, 18:29

Originally Posted by HoreTore

The less there are in the world, the smaller the chance of one of them blowing up something.

Actually it's more like the less nuke's the world has the more likely they are to be used especially nowadays with all the stealth technology being developed and the stuff already in use like the B2 etc.

As the gap between smaller nations and the bigger powers reduces the incentive to have a nuke is palpable as it will prevent invasion and plus people will feel they could even get away with using one or two.

Of course as the number increases the likely chance of a mistake in the game of checks and balances increases too.

As long as the number is not less than say a hundred or so not approaching cold war levels the situation is more stable not safer just more stable.

Accidents really would not come into the decision to have them but they might be used as a way to capitalize on a percieved weakness of a member of the nuclear club by another.

Originally Posted by Tellos Athenaios

Plus I don't like the idea of the assorted expiration dates coming in rather fast. There is a difference between keeping a train on the track even if its 25 years past its technical lifetime; and doing so with nuclear warheads... Mind, those expiration dates are all about assuming that proper care & maintenance has been provided to ensure that the conditions were kept adequate.

Likely Russia and China suffered more from that than US the serious economic problems in Russia especially during the late eighties and nineties probably ended up with them having to mothball a lot of stuff.

**Xiahou** · 04-21-2010, 00:50

Well, it turns out that Iran could have missiles capable of striking the US by 2015. Howabout that?

Iran may be able to build a missile capable of striking the United States by 2015, according to an unclassified Defense Department report on Iran's military sent to Congress and released on Monday.

**HoreTore** · 04-21-2010, 01:06

Originally Posted by Xiahou

Well, it turns out that Iran could have missiles capable of striking the US by 2015. Howabout that?

......and saddam had one too, right?

**Seamus Fermanagh** · 04-21-2010, 04:58

Originally Posted by HoreTore

......and saddam had one too, right?

Well, I would like to think that the intelligence sources used were a little better than the ones used to develop the WMD in Iraq report.

On the whole, the military tech capabilities folk seem to be a bit more reliable, though their dates are always a +/- thing.

**Beskar** · 04-21-2010, 05:08

The supreme leader of Iran announced that nuclear weapons are tools of the devil or similiar and they are taboo for muslims to use, or even have. Let's hope that is an opinion they keep.

**PanzerJaeger** · 04-21-2010, 01:30

Originally Posted by Xiahou

Well, it turns out that Iran could have missiles capable of striking the US by 2015. Howabout that?

Well I for one am glad this administration ~~wasted a year~~ engaged Iran in constructive diplomacy.

**a completely inoffensive name** · 04-21-2010, 05:58

Originally Posted by PanzerJaeger

Well I for one am glad this administration ~~wasted a year~~ engaged Iran in constructive diplomacy.

Bush wasted all 8 years of his presidency in not pulling the trigger and invading that place.

**Kagemusha** · 04-21-2010, 09:41

If there ever will be a day when we have s missile shield technology that will capable destroying 10 out of 10 Ballistic missiles and also capable defeating tactical nukes most of the time. That day we again enter an era in which large scale conventional warfare between superpowers become viable option once again.I wouldnt like to see that day come during my life time.