secretary of missile defense

The Secretary of Missile Defense

Mark Thompson writes in “The Secretary of Missile Defense” that there is no
one as familiar with the frustrations of building missile defenses as Donald Rumsfeld.
This is Rumsfeld’s second chance at improving the United State’s missile
defense system; his first was back in 1975 under the command of President Ford. Mr.
Rumsfeld failed at his first attempt because the high cost of unexplored technology
was an inevitable set back. Twenty - five years later, “Rummy” as friends call him,
was back and presenting a whole new front. President Bush committed to the project
with no limits regarding cost or technology. Now that a successful missile defense was
possible it seemed as if it was essential to America’s national security.
The real question now lies at Rumsfeld’s feet, will this gamble pay off?
Because of the lack of political will to construct a successful missile shield, Thompson
explains, the Clinton ...