The Case Against the National Missile Defense System

The Lawyers Alliance for World Security released a new "White Paper on National Missile Defense." This review carefully examines the principal technical, political and strategic arguments in favor of deploying a national missile defense system, and finds them wanting. Four White Paper authors presented their findings at this session. George Lewis described the technical problems the system has failed to overcome. Joseph Cirincione analyzed the declining global ballistic missile threat. Jack Mendelsohn and Steve Fetter detailed the serious strategic consequences of unilaterally deploying the system and outline effective alternatives for dealing with the potential threats the system is trying to address.

Speakers:
Mr. Joseph Cirincione
Director, Carnegie Non-Proliferation Project

Dr. George Lewis
Associate Director, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Steve Fetter
Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland

Mr. Jack Mendelsohn
Vice President, Lawyers Alliance for World Security

Mr. Cirincione's Presentation: The Declining Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States