Controversy Over ‘Star Wars’ Defense

Re “Does America Need a ‘Star Wars’ Defense Against Missile Attack?” Commentary, May 20:

I would like to point out that America is indeed vulnerable to nuclear attack, but hardly from incoming missiles. Why bother launching such a suicidal attack when so many other means are available?

How many tons of illicit drugs are being delivered to our cities each day via truck, courtesy of NAFTA? How many drug-bearing cargo airplanes are eluding DEA at this moment? If a nuclear device were put aboard either of these transports, would a trillion-dollar “Star Wars” defense do any good?

Assuming that a “Star Wars” antimissile system were deployed, there is still no guarantee that it would work, even against the missiles for which it is ostensibly targeted. Let’s not forget how hard it is to pick off those pesky “nukes” once they’re in flight. Despite all the flag-waving and political posturing at the factory where the Patriot missiles are built, there still is not a shred of evidence that even one Iraqi Scud missile was shot down by our Patriot antimissile system during the Gulf War. The Scuds simply disintegrated in mid-flight due to their shoddy manufacture. True, the Patriots may have collided with some of the falling Scud debris, but this is hardly an antimissile success story.

By the way, I think the movie from which the missile system takes its popularly known nickname aptly pointed out the “Star Wars” missile defense fallacy: The empire’s dreaded death star, impregnable against a full-scale frontal assault, was destroyed by one man in a fighter plane, whose low-tech assault defeated the best defenses the empire had to offer. So do we pony up for “Star Wars” funding? Caveat emptor.

STEPHEN C. LEE

La Habra

* Does Rep. Dick Armey (R-Texas) really expect to be taken seriously? I do not believe we need to worry about Kadafi shooting off missiles aimed at New York, or any of the other absurd scenarios Armey puts forth in his commentary.

I’d feel safe if we quit arming the entire planet, as well as our own disgruntled citizens, to the teeth. Safer still if the threat of Armey was voted out of office.

KRISTIN EDWARDS

Los Angeles