The debates surrounding the "space weapons" allegations between the US and Russia reminded me of a scene from the 1961 "romantic comedy" film "Romanoff and Juliet" by Peter Ustinov. In the film, Ustinov himself played the role of the President of the fictional country "Concordia Republic" in Europe. The US and Soviet ambassadors were racing to secure the support of this small country on a very important issue. Meanwhile, the General, acting as a mediator between the two embassies, was exploring the most suitable position for his country.

During these exchanges, the Soviet Ambassador accidentally revealed that they had decoded the codes of a highly secret US operation. The General immediately passed this information on to the US Ambassador, who confidently responded, "We know what they know. We're just giving them what we want them to know." The General then went back to the Soviet Ambassador and informed him, "They know that you know they decoded the codes." To which the Soviet Ambassador replied, "We know they know we know. We acted accordingly, pretending to be deceived." The General then returned to the US Ambassador, saying, "They know that you know they know." In response, the Ambassador, while counting on his fingers, panicked and exclaimed, "Damn it, they know!"

During the "Cold War" era, the two opposing superpowers, the US and the Soviet Union, had many secret programs they believed would give them an advantage over each other. When it came to military technology, this secrecy was even more crucial. In the competition between major powers, a game of "deception" was also played to prevent rivals from knowing each other's advantages. Peter Ustinov, in "Romanoff and Juliet," turned this game of deception into a satire.

Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Mike Turner highlighted a "destabilizing foreign military capability" that posed a serious national security threat to the US. The US media reported allegations that this foreign military capability belonged to "Russia." According to the allegations, Russia had developed a weapon capable of disabling US satellite systems. Russia, however, claimed that the allegations were made to ensure the passage of bills containing military aid to Ukraine through the US Congress.

Former US President Ronald Reagan announced the launch of the "Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)," also known as "Star Wars," in the early 1980s, which alarmed the Soviet Union. Commentators believe that "Star Wars" aimed to both distract the Soviets with a fictional program and bankrupt their economy. Therefore, it is believed that the space program played a significant role in the collapse of the Soviet economy in the late 1980s. The "Star Wars" program was shelved and forgotten after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Hence, it is said that "Star Wars" was a "strategic deception game" played by the US.

Undoubtedly, "Space" is one of the most sensitive areas of the great power competition. It is the most secretive among military sectors, including "nuclear." Former US President Trump declared in 2019 that space falls under the umbrella of conflict domains like air, sea, and land, and emphasized the need for power in this area by establishing the "Space Force." Countries like the US, China, and Russia are spending huge sums on space programs. The levels of these programs are at the top of the list of "secrets to be stolen" among rival powers. History Professor Aaron Bateman, speaking to "Vox" about the US military, said, "We'll tell you how many B-2s and F-22s we have, but we won't tell the world what we have in orbit."

Another notable debate in the US is about the statement made by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, which was deemed damaging to American intelligence. According to Turner, the US had raw intelligence on Russia's alleged space weapon program. In other words, Turner revealed that the US knew about the program. Thus, the Russians also knew what the Americans knew. It is a matter of curiosity in the great power competition in space which stage the sides are in the information and intelligence war. We don't know who knows what, who is deceiving whom.