Missile Shield: A National Priority?

New York Times, Letters, July 15, 2000

To the Editor:

    Re: "A Better Way to Build a Missile Defense," by Richard Perle (Op-Ed, July 13):

    Mr. Perle asserts that an effective missile shield can be built. Others assert that the threat of retaliation by the United States is sufficient to deter attacks. Both approaches are morally abhorrent because they plan for the possibility of fighting a war with nuclear missiles. There is a third option: Eliminate the capability to launch missile attacks through development of a global missile control system.

    Russia has made proposals for missile nonproliferation and monitoring that point toward such a system. North Korea is observing a moratorium on long-range missile tests. A global missile flight test ban would be an excellent first step toward real security based on eliminating the threat of missile attack rather than deterring or defending against it.

JOHN BURROUGHS
Executive Director, Lawyers'
Committee on Nuclear Policy
New York, July 13, 2000