[FPSPACE] Is Russia building anti-satellite weapons once again?

[James Oberg]

Sigh...  the problem with stories like this -- and AP has
done it regularly -- is that by saying "the Kremlin has criticized 
US plans for space-based weapons" they are implying 
that such plans exist, and are accepting the Russian complaint as factual.

The best evidence that the Russian press can come up with, aside
from the ravings of some US 'peace groups', is that the Missile Defence Agency
would like to consider the efferctiveness of basing some anti-missile
sensors and possibly weapons in space and is looking for money to
study it. It's hard to call these proposals 'plans', especially when
in symmetry there's no way to tell for how long, and how deeply,
countries such as China have Russia have also thought about it, but
like the US, have done nothing overt so far.

If the Russians wind up committing to such a project, their justification will 
be based in large part on the sloppy reporting in the Western news media, 
about 'US space plans.' I've complained about this before, as you well
remember (grin!)...
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