The Anti-Missile Defense System in the United States, or the difficulty in building a New World Order

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The US’s « National Anti-Missile Defense System » has been widely publicized over the last several. This strategic defensive program recalls the concepts that were behind the « Strategic Defense Initiative » (SDI or also dubbed « Star Wars ») proposed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. By comparison, it shows how much the U.S. strategic thinking has evolved since the end of the Cold War, by pointing to new ballistic missile « threats » which could target the American soil. But an analysis of the U.S. internal debate shows how this issue has also been pushed to center stage by the institutional and political game. Such analysis helps to explain why both the opponents and promoters of this project have been often disappointed with the course of the program. It allows also to distinguish between the core of the debate and its political appearance, increasing the understanding of the deep evolution that has occurred in the United States since the SDI years. – Summary AFRI-2001