America In The World's Take

Obama abandons Bush's plan to protect Europe with missile defence system

Critics of the Obama administration are suggesting that persistent Russian opposition to the plan is the explanation. Other theories include the enormous expense at a time when the American budget deficit is growing sharply and also continuing concerns that a missile defence system - first proposed by President Reagan in the early 1980s - is technologically too difficult. Some believe that a dirty nuclear bomb - smuggled into a major urban centre in a 'suitcase' - is much more likely and a missile defence system offers no protection against it.