U.S. Yawns at Russia's Claim of Voiding Missile Defense

The federal government doesn't seem concerned about Russia's claim that it has made our missile defense system "useless."

"If you're in that business, intercontinental ballistic missiles and warheads, you want them to be survivable, and maneuverability is one way to increase their survivability against any potential defenses," Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today.

"They've got to design a missile force that they think is sufficient for deterrence, just like we do."

With power-grabbing Russian President Vladimir Putin running for re-election next month, he's just trying to make himself and his battered country look strong, some observers suggest.

The Associated Press noted this afternoon: "The Russian military's widely reported troubles - including severe funding shortages, low morale, poor conditions for servicemen and the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster of 2000 - have undermined Putin's push for Russia to reassert itself as a military power. Underscoring that, the exercises were marred this week by two failed missile launches from nuclear submarines."

Alexei Arbatov, an expert on Russian military programs, told AP, "Putin has sought to make an impression on both domestic and global public and show that Russia has some major new projects in its fold."

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