Ballistic Missile Defense: Past and Future

To help put the potential value of a national missile defense system in perspective, consider three scenarios, one modeled on a historical event, the other two hypothetical. First, suppose that the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait occurs 20 years later, which is to say, about now. Saddam Hussein has an arsenal of two or three long-range missiles equipped with biological or nuclear warheads. These weapons are aimed at New York and/or Washington (or even closer targets, such as Tel Aviv or London). He threatens to launch them if the United States attempts to throw him out of Kuwait. In the absence of a missile defense system, what options does the President of the United States have for dislodging Iraq from Kuwait—or preventing occupation of Saudi oilfields?