What Missile Defense Has Accomplished

I worked in the Defense Department for 20 years, including stints in research and engineering. Just after I resigned, President Ronald Reagan started the missile defense program that many scientists and members of the U.S. military laughingly called "Star Wars." We've been funding it for a quarter-century. It has never worked; many believe it never will. Regardless, President Bush requested $10 billion for missile defense in his most recent budget; although the numbers are classified, I'd estimate that we've spent at least $200 billion on it so far.

Mr. Bush said in 2003 that the missile defense system would become operational in 2004. As you might have noticed, it hasn't. You don't need to be a genius to see its main flaw. If we ever get to the position where we can shoot down an incoming missile, as Vladimir Putin recently pointed out, the enemy will send two. I don't know whether Mr. Bush really wants to protect Europe or whether he is just trying to get funding to help pay for this, but what he has accomplished is to induce Russia to aim missiles at its neighbors again.

The June 6 front-page article "Russia Has 'Derailed' Its Reforms, Bush States" reported that Mr. Bush wanted to build 10 missile silos in Poland. I'm no big fan of Russia, but let's say that Mr. Putin wanted to build 10 missile silos in Cuba to "protect the United States." What do you think we'd say?

ALLEN AHEARN

Dickerson