But this same administration has argued that the United States needs missile defenses because of potential threats that it might face. You can't have it both ways. The relationship between arms treaties and missile defense shields becomes clear once we realize that arms treaties are the best version of missile defense. With arms treaties, we dismantle enemy missiles before they are constructed. With missile defense systems, we shoot down enemy missiles after they are launched.
Treaties are inexpensive and reliable.
Missile defense systems are expensive and unreliable, and only provoke the opponent into making more missiles. Arms control is far the wiser choice. The space commission on which Donald H. Rumsfeld served until his appointment as defense secretary was anything but objective. No fewer than eight companies working on space technology and missile defense programs for the Pentagon were represented on the Congressional panel. The panel's report, from which Mr. Rumsfeld is pulling many of his ideas, is about shaping Congressional opinion to favor even more money for a bloated military budget.