11.   Although the government has had no official policy on missile defense, Presidents Bush and Clinton have included funding in the defense budget proposals to keep the research going.

12.   Am I totally against missile defense?

13.   America will do missile defense, whatever it takes.

14.   American allies are also unsettled by the notion of a missile defense.

15.   American officials insist that the new missile defense is aimed at so-called rogue states like North Korea or Iraq that might try to field a few weapons.

16.   Americans see missile defense as a way of protecting themselves against nuclear threats from unpredictable countries like North Korea, Iraq and Iran.

17.   An earth-based boost-phase defense has the greatest potential to reconcile divergent American and Russian interests on missile defense.

18.   America needs a missile defense, some say, because of countries like North Korea.

19.   An American missile defense would encourage China to develop a larger, more flexible nuclear force and to put that force on alert.

20.   And having already lost momentum on missile defense, the Republicans have now lost their Senate majority.