They consider his proposal too limited to be effective. The ground-based system in Alaska that the administration is supporting will not be sufficient. Republicans are sincere but misguided, says Kurt Gottfried, chairman of the Union of Concerned Scientists and professor of physics at Cornell University. We are, after all, today without question the most powerful country in the world. Right now, Russia is actually standing with most of the other countries of the world against a missile defense system.
Many European countries are opposed to the American plan.
China is certainly opposed to the American plan. Mr. Kagan says the stage is set for a considerable debate over missile defense at the presidential meeting in Moscow.