What does the US think is the new post Cold War threat?

The United States was expected to press NATO Allies yesterday to establish defenses against the new post Gold War threat. The US fears that some states could require nuclear and chemical weapons and missiles to deteriorate them. NATO has pledged to consider the issue at the summit of allies leaders on Jan. 10th and 11th. US defense secretary Les Asbin was expected to tell NATO defence ministers yesterday that the Allies has good reason to combat this new post Cold War threat. The US wants NATO’s help and cash to build the defense system against ballistic missiles that would hit Allies countries, particularly in southern Europe. The collapse of the Soviet Union which had the world’s biggest arsenal of mass destruction weapons has raised fears that technology for nuclear and chemical arms could now be available on the black market. In the age of shrinking defense budget, however, NATO Allies has been reluctant to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the new antimissile system when they cannot be sure there is immediate threat.