Publication

This paper argues that the ongoing debate over the US-proposed National Missile Defense (NMD) system demonstrates that the pursuit of apparently defensive systems has the potential to negatively impact international stability. Any attempt to achieve security in isolation, and disrupt the fragile network of multilateral arms control agreements, has the potential to make the world more dangerous rather than less so. As the countries of Europe become increasingly interested in the concept of limited missile defense systems, it is important that they do not lose sight of this principle.