One reason that the European allies are so opposed to a US National Missile Defense System is that it could actually reduce their own security. If the US is protected from attacks by a few missiles, any nation that has a small missile arsenal and is seeking a target (for whatever reason) would find an attack on the US impractical and unprofitable. Instead, they might seek to attack European countries (or US bases in those countries), which have left themselves vulnerable to attack. Since the Kosovo War, the Europeans have shown a growing resentment for the US technological superiority.--Stephen V Cole