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"Star Wars" and SDI - an International Legal Perspective

"Star Wars" and SDI - an International Legal Perspective 205 "Star Wars" and SDI - an International Legal Perspective By Pamela L. Meredith "Star Wars" has become the popular designation for the Space-based ballistic missile defense envisioned by President Reagan in his speech to the Nation on March 23, 1983.' The formal name is the Strategic Defense Initiative ("SDI"). "Star Wars," by the way, is a misnomer because it conveys the impression of a fully deployed, offensive, Space-based missile system, which SDI is not. SDI - as currently defined - is merely a research program designed to determine the feasibility of a Space-based ballistic missile defense (that is, an anti-ballistic missile system). As such, SDI is legal international law. An extension of SDI beyond the research phase to include also development and testing (as is being considered by the Administration) probably is illegal, although the Administra- tion's position is tat it is not. Deployment of the proposed missile defense would be illegal based on current international law - also under the Administra- tion's interpretation. ' The legality of a space based missile defense turns on the interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty of 19672 and the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty of 1972.3 While the Outer Space Treaty http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Nordic Journal of International Law Brill

"Star Wars" and SDI - an International Legal Perspective

Nordic Journal of International Law , Volume 56 (3): 205 – Jan 1, 1987

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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 1987 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0902-7351
eISSN
1571-8107
DOI
10.1163/157181087X00039
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

205 "Star Wars" and SDI - an International Legal Perspective By Pamela L. Meredith "Star Wars" has become the popular designation for the Space-based ballistic missile defense envisioned by President Reagan in his speech to the Nation on March 23, 1983.' The formal name is the Strategic Defense Initiative ("SDI"). "Star Wars," by the way, is a misnomer because it conveys the impression of a fully deployed, offensive, Space-based missile system, which SDI is not. SDI - as currently defined - is merely a research program designed to determine the feasibility of a Space-based ballistic missile defense (that is, an anti-ballistic missile system). As such, SDI is legal international law. An extension of SDI beyond the research phase to include also development and testing (as is being considered by the Administration) probably is illegal, although the Administra- tion's position is tat it is not. Deployment of the proposed missile defense would be illegal based on current international law - also under the Administra- tion's interpretation. ' The legality of a space based missile defense turns on the interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty of 19672 and the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty of 1972.3 While the Outer Space Treaty

Journal

Nordic Journal of International LawBrill

Published: Jan 1, 1987

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