Abstract:

Now that George W. Bush has become president, the deployment of a missile defense system has become inevitable. In this new era, which began with the fall of the Soviet Union ten years ago, the strategic equilibrium can no longer rely on the doctrine of mutually assured destruction, which put everyone in a state of serious vulnerability. Conceived for a period exemplified by a confrontation between two blocks, this doctrine cannot address ballistic threats emanating from states that might acquire nuclear capability such as Iran, Iraq or North Korea. To replace it with a doctrine of « mutuallyassured survival », a global missile defence with several layers, which would also protect the United States’ allies, seems all the more necessary. It would require to modify the ABM treaty, which has become an obstacle to a newworld strategic order.

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