A war in space

This refers to the news report, ‘In space the looming threat of a new arms race’, (Oct 17). The report says that world powers are preparing for a war in outer space. The US Secretary of Air Force has raised a question: “If the conflict on earth extends to space, how will we defend our assets?” The defense of assets is impossible in space. The war will be about destroying the assets of the other. A country which destroys the assets of the enemy first will win the war. In the 1980s when the US was experimenting with precision-guided missiles and weapons, a preliminary study was undertaken for ‘war in space’. The plan was soon discarded since it was considered far too expensive.

However, in an attempt to sell their expensive weapons for profit to the fighters of the third world, super-rich capitalists of the west are determined to accumulate more wealth at the cost of peace on earth.

Brig (r) Usman Shah

Rawalpindi