Putting Misguided Missiles Back on Track

Last Thursday, President Obama announced that he is scaling down plans to deploy a missile shield involving complex Eastern European bases on Polish and Czech ground. The expensive and technologically advanced long-range missile shield will be replaced by a more efficient and technologically feasible system of sensors and interceptors. We believe the decision was a sensible one, especially since the new plan relies on technology that has been tested and proven efficient, whereas the older plan relied on dubious, expensive technology that was still being developed.

Moreover, the proposed shield was impractical and overly ambitious. Recent intelligence reports have shown that Iran isn’t developing the long-range missiles that the Eastern European missile shield could have protected against. The new plan, on the other hand, addresses the imminent threat that a nuclear Iran poses, which come mainly from low- to medium-range missiles. Intelligence has reported that Iranians have developed missiles with empty spaces in them that can hold nuclear devices. This new system can protect Israel and Eastern Europe from such Iranian missiles in a cheaper and more efficient manner.

This move reaffirms the president’s goal of cutting Cold War-era defense programs and replacing them with modern projects that cater to the military needs of the 21st century. The current plan is less ambitious than the Star Wars system, imagined by President Reagan, but it does the job required far more efficiently. It takes into consideration the technology and threats present in today’s world.

Politically, President Bush’s ambitious plan of missile defense had long aggravated Russia, who thought the system was directed against it. Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, however, welcomed Obama’s plan, calling it “responsible.” On that note, we are pleased that the new plan will improve relations between Moscow and Washington, especially leading up to talks on nuclear-missile reductions scheduled to take place later this month. The White House, however, was quick to point out that the plan does not represent a concession to the Russians, but a reassessment of military needs in the region. We applaud this assessment of military needs and efficiency and hope it is carried out in future military plans.