WELCOME May 28, 2001 Issue

To Our Readers

Cyril Rakhmanoff

Defending one's country . Protecting the safety and future of our children. These are basic issues.

National defense has always been the military's responsibility. But the weapons of the fierce warrior of the past, who stood erect on his majestic horse, have been replaced by more modern ones. In fact, as technology evolved, in some instances the warrior himself has been replaced by sophisticated advanced weaponry. Today we hear of nuclear deterrents, of antiballistic missiles, and more recently, of the plan for a strategic missile defense system.

It is clear, however, for most of us, that weapons, even if planned for the purpose of defending oneself, are inherently dangerous. For one thing, they often tend to lead to some kind of arms race. There is also a fear that a strong Army could pass from a defensive mode to an offensive one. This explains clearly the debate we're witnessing today over the possible deployment of a missile shield, which could eventually include the placement of weapons in space.

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