Why a Ballistic Missile Defense Program is the Wrong Path to US National Security

An overview of the implications of the deployment of a National Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system on world security, whether it is operationally credible or not, is given. The argument of the Russian Federation and France is that the system would cause a shift in the world's balance of power and stimulate another arms race. Furthermore, it would do little to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapon ambitions or, in time, that of Iran.