No one would take this idea seriously if it were being made with respect to ships, airplanes, tanks, or, for that matter, an infantryman armed with a rifle. It doesn't deserve to be taken any more seriously when applied to ballistic missiles. The future ability of rogue states to penetrate U.S. missile defenses using countermeasures is questionable. But a rogue state won't even have to bother with countermeasures if there are no defenses. The notion that America should deliberately leave itself vulnerable to attack or coercion by the growing number of nations seeking ballistic missiles specifically with which to threaten us is repugnant.
Missiles leave a trail but covert means avoid retaliation .
The existence of one type of threat does not mean that others can be ignored. S. 257 deals with a specific type of threat, from weapons of mass destruction delivered by long-range ballistic missiles. Numerous programs and national resources are directed at countering terrorist threats, but they are not the subject of this bill. There is a high degree of consensus on the nature of the threat to the United States from rogue states. Even those ideologically opposed to missile defense should be able to comprehend that these states place a high value on ballistic missiles because missiles have a different purpose.