Bush Really Grows in Office

(Washington, D.C.): During his second full day in Europe, President Bush further underscored his commitment to deploy missile defenses at the earliest possible time. In remarks at a press conference following his meeting with other NATO leaders, Mr. Bush made the following important points:

• “There was broad agreement that we must seek a new approach to deterrence in a world of changing threats, particularly the threat posed by the spread of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.”
• “I told the allies I’m committed to working closely with them to address this common threat by developing a new framework for nuclear security. This framework must include greater non-proliferation and counter-proliferation efforts, decreased reliance on offensive weapons, and greater transparency so that responsible nations can have greater levels of confidence.”
• “I also spoke of my commitment to fielding limited, but effective, missile defenses as soon as possible. I explained that the ABM Treaty embodied the Cold War nuclear balance of terror between rival superpowers. But it no longer makes sense as a foundation for relations that should be based on mutual confidence, openness, and real opportunities for cooperation.”
• “All this marks a major shift in thinking about some of the most critical issues of world security. And I was pleased by the open and constructive reactions. I’m encouraged that in today’s meeting we saw a new receptivity towards missile defense as part of a new strategic framework to address the changing threats of our world.”
• “As one of our close allies noted, the world is changing around us, and NATO’s great strength has been a willingness to adapt and move forward. Another noted, NATO is a defensive alliance and, thus, an increasingly important role should be played by defensive systems to protect all our citizens from terrorist blackmail.”
• “Secondly, we agreed that we must reach out to Russian leaders, and to a new Russian generation, with a message that Russia does have a future with Europe. The United States will seek to build this strategic framework with Russia. Now that Russia has recognized a weapons of mass destruction threat to Europe, future cooperative work on a new strategic framework could be a great task which brings NATO and Russia together.”

President Bush is to be commended for leaving no doubt about his determination to proceed promptly with deployment of missile defenses. It now falls to him to do just that by announcing forthwith that Aegis ships are authorized to perform this function and will be swiftly equipped with improved capabilities to do so. By taking these tangible steps now to remove the missile defense issue from the negotiating table, Mr. Bush can maximize the chances that Vladimir Putin will understand that the time has come for the Kremlin to accommodate — rather than to continue to resist — the inevitable U.S. deployment, a stance increasingly evident in European capitals.