Waubonsee Community College

Defending America, the case for limited national missile defense, James M. Lindsay, Michael E. O'Hanlon

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-246) and index

mapsillustrations

index present

non fiction

Defending America

bibliography

46634723

James M. Lindsay, Michael E. O'Hanlon

the case for limited national missile defense

Publisher Fact Sheet, The much politicized debate over building a national missile defense system has underscored the need for independent analysis about its probable value & effectiveness. Written for a general audience, Defending America explores the contending arguments surrounding national missile defense. The book assesses the current & likely future missile threat to the United States, examines relevant technologies, & suggests how America's friends & foes would react to a decision to develop a national missile defenseAnnotation, Lindsay and O'Hanlon (both foreign policy studies, the Brookings Institution) consider the potential benefits and dangers of implementing a national missile defense (NMD) system. They contend that a limited, small-scale NMD could effectively defend the United States against attacks from relatively unsophisticated foes. As the implementation of an NMD would violate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, they caution that the United States should only proceed after negotiations with Russia and China. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)Annotation, Arms control and missile defense are once again at the forefront of the American national security agenda. Not surprisingly, the debate has broken down along well-worn lines. Arms control advocates dismiss the idea of missile defense as a dangerous and costly folly. Missile defense advocates argue that the U.S. should move aggressively to defend itself against missile attack. With clear and lively prose free of partisan rhetoric, Defending America provides reliable, factual analysis of the missile defense debate. Written for a general audience, it assesses the current and likely future missile threat to the United States, examines relevant technologies, and suggests how America's friends and foes would react to a decision to build a national missile defense. Lindsay and O'Hanlon reject calls for large-scale systems as well as proposals to do nothing, instead arguing for a limited national missile defense

ch. 1. Defending America. Déjà vu all over again -- Is the third time a charm? -- Why not prevention, preemption, and deterrence? -- Sensible defense means limited defense -- A modest proposal -- ch. 2. Missile Defense: concepts and systems -- Basic elements of ballistic missiles -- The trajectory of a ballistic missile -- Basic types of missile defenses -- Types of theater missile defenses -- Types of national missile defense -- Decoys and other countermeasures -- ch. 3. The threat. A growing ballistic missile threat? -- Russia -- China -- North Korea, Iran, and Iraq -- Other emerging ballistic missile powers -- Alternative threats -- The consequences of a missile attack -- ch. 4. Missile defense programs and architectures. Midcourse defense: the Clinton Administration program -- Larger midcourse defenses -- Boost-phase defenses -- Layered and space-based systems -- Conclusion -- ch. 5. The international politics of missile defense -- Russia -- China -- America's friends and allies -- South Asia -- No more disarmament? -- ch. 6. Missile defense and American security. A limited, two-tier national missile defense against "rogue" regimes -- Selling a limited, two-tier defense abroad -- Selling a limited, two-tier defense at home -- Appendixes. A. Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and related documents -- B. Excerpts from the DCI National Intelligence Estimate -- C. Excerpts from the 1998 Rumsfeld Commission Report -- D. Excerpts from the 1999 National Intelligence Review -- Notes -- Index