Missile proliferation

Nature

Missile proliferation refers to the spread of missile technology and capabilities among nations and non-state actors, posing significant global security challenges. This phenomenon can lead to an arms race, destabilizing regional and international peace. The proliferation of ballistic and cruise missiles, particularly those capable of carrying nuclear, chemical, or biological warheads, raises concerns about escalation in conflicts and the potential for catastrophic attacks. Efforts to curb missile proliferation include international treaties, export controls, and diplomatic initiatives, yet the increasing accessibility of missile technology continues to complicate global security dynamics.

Incidence

There is no shortage of ideas for how to tackle missile proliferation. The real question is one of international will. The United States is unlikely to sit idly by while its own territory or those of its core allies in Europe, Asia or the Middle East are threatened with missile attack by nations such as North Korea, Iraq or Iran. To accept that vulnerability, as the U.S. sees it, would be to forfeit a good part of America's power and prestige in the world. The issue, then, is whether those threats will be mitigated by the brutal and unilateral assertion of superpower might; or whether the international community can devise other means of defusing what is literally an explosive problem.

Claim

As Saddam Hussein has shown – in the bombardment of Teheran that closed the Iran-Iraq war, and in the attacks on Israel that almost broke apart the alliance in the Gulf war – a tactical missile (even just a Scud with a modest high-explosive warhead) can have strategic consequences.

Counter-claim

Missile proliferation is often overstated as a critical issue. Many nations possess missiles for deterrence rather than aggression, and the focus on proliferation distracts from more pressing global challenges like poverty and climate change. The resources spent on combating missile threats could be better utilized to foster international cooperation and development. By exaggerating the dangers of missile proliferation, we risk overlooking the real issues that affect millions of lives daily.