Originally posted by mrsid2
With a success rate thats, what, 1% at the moment? lol.
This is the first test using the Aegis ships to knock down a ballistic missile that I've ever heard of. With that in mind, it's closer to a 100% success rate. I'm surely not saying that that's the case, but we need to look at this as an individual system, and not confuse it with the NMD systems that are also being tested.
In fact, without having the ABM treaty in front of me, I'm not sure if this system (sea born TMD) would be a violation of that treaty any more than the latest Patriot is.
As far as the "treaty signed with the USSR" I'm not sure that I buy that argument. I've often heard treaties describes as "agreements between peoples" As in an agreement between the People of the United States and the Soviet Union. While the names have changed the people still exist, and if you accept that definition of a treaty, then the treaty is still applicable. Does this mean that the Russian Federation, or any of the CIS nations would have been no longer obligated to accept the terms of treaties that they had signed? Could Ukraine now give unlimited nuclear assistence to Iran, in direct violation of the NPT signed by the USSR? Does this only go into effect when a nation breaks appart, like Yugoslavia or the Soviet Union, or is it also applicable when a nation disolves it's government without territorial loss, like the French 4th republic?
Anyhow the treaty has the language written into it which allow us to disolve it, so it's validity isn't really a legal question. I think the arguments about irrelivence in the aftermath of Soviet Collapse are more to gain political support here in the states (Although I'm not sure they've changed anyones mind, just given us more slogans)
I do wish that other nations would have stepped up to negotiate a new one, that is more inclusive, I mean if nothing else all the Nuclear Weapons states should be included in any ABM treaty (although since India and Pakistan aren't recognised in the NPT as nuclear weapons states, I'm not sure what signals including them in an ABM framework would send).
Its a tough question that's for sure.
-Sikboy