President Bush Applauded for Ending the A.B.M. Treaty, Urged to Move to Deploy Missile Defenses A.S.A.P.

(Washington, D.C.): Yesterday, fifty prominent leaders of groups representing millions of Americans wrote President Bush to congratulate him for his “courageous and visionary leadership” in clearing the way for the development, testing and deployment of effective missile defenses by withdrawing the United States from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.

In addition to commending the President for terminating a morally bankrupt and strategically reckless treaty regime — one that denied the American people the protection they expect, deserve and need from ballistic missile attack, the signatories of the joint letter circulated by the American Conservative Union noted that “our countrymen and their forces and allies overseas will remain vulnerable to missile attack until we actually deploy effective anti-missile systems.” They expressed confidence that the Bush “Administration will take the steps necessary — including assigning the highest presidential priority and such resources as are needed to the task — so as to ready missile defenses for prompt deployment.”

This expectation has taken on greater urgency in light of decisions taken by certain Pentagon officials following the President’s 13 December decision on the ABM Treaty. The outright cancellation of the Navy’s Area Missile Defense System and the effective evisceration of the Space-Based Infrared Sensor (SBIRS)-Low satellite program must be revisited by Mr. Bush, who was not informed beforehand of these actions — or the highly deleterious effect they would have, if allowed to stand, on the ability to provide effective missile defenses any time soon.

December 20, 2001

Hon. George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We wish to commend you for the courageous and visionary leadership you have exhibited in withdrawing from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. By so doing, you have made it possible for our government to fulfill, at last, its constitutional responsibility to “provide for the common defense.”

It has been enormously gratifying to witness your steadfast pursuit of that objective. On the campaign trail, upon taking office and in the eleven months since the inauguration, you have consistently recognized the real and growing danger posed by our present, complete vulnerability to missile attack. You have unwaveringly, and correctly, described the ABM Treaty as an insurmountable impediment to our acquiring the defensive capabilities needed to deal with that threat. And now you have put that impediment behind us, once and for all.

These initiatives are a lasting credit to you and of incalculable importance to the security of our nation, its people and interests.

Of course, our countrymen and their forces and allies overseas will remain vulnerable to missile attack until we actually deploy effective anti-missile systems. With the ABM Treaty out of the way, however, we should now be able to accomplish that objective as required by the Missile Defense Act of 1999 — namely, “as soon as technologically possible.”

We are certain that your Administration will take the steps necessary — including assigning the highest presidential priority and such resources as are needed to the task — so as to ready missile defenses for prompt deployment. We look forward to working closely with you and your team to finish the job of defending America, a job made possible by our withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty you have properly called “obsolete” and “dangerous.”

Sincerely,

David Keene, The American Conservative Union

Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy

Phyllis Schafly, Eagle Forum

Paul M. Weyrich, Coalitions for America

Oliver L. North, Freedom Alliance

Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform

Nancy Pfotenhauer, Independent Women’s Forum

Karen Kerrigan, Small Business Survival Committee

Ken Adelman, DefenseCentralStation.com

J. Milnor Roberts, High Frontier

Star Parker, Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education

David Ridenour, National Center for Public Policy Research

Bob Livingston, The Livingston Group

James L. Martin, 60 Plus Association

Gary Aldrich, Patrick Henry Center

Lisa DePasquale, Claire Booth Luce Policy Institute

John Dodd, Jesse Helms Center Foundation

Kerri Houston, American Conservative Network

Erik Johnson, Young Americans for Freedom

Audrey Mullen, Advocacy Ink

Michael R. Long, NY State Conservative Party

James Parmelee, Republicans United for Tax Relief

Lewis Uhler, National Tax Limitation Committee

Richard Viguerie, American Target Advertising

Deroy Murdock, ATLAS Economic Research Foundation

Duane Parde, American Legislative Exchange Council

Rev. Lou Sheldon, Traditional Values Coalition

James V. Lacy, Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association

Alan Gottlieb, Committee For the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Gary L. Bauer, American Values

Roberta Combs, Christian Coalition of America

Matthew Brooks, Republican Jewish Council

Michael Boos, American Sovereignty Action Project

Kim Holmes, The Heritage Foundation

Richard Falknor, Maryland Taxpayers Association

Robert Funk, American Shareholders Association

Charles W. Baird, PhD, Smith Center for Private Enterprise Studies

Martin Angell, A Choice for Every Child Foundation

Dave Almasi, National Defense Center

Gary L. Jarmin, Christian Voice

David A. Javdan, Young Jewish Leadership PAC

Tom Kilgannon, Freedom Alliance

Daniel Lapin, Toward Tradition

Robert L. Maginnis, Family Research Council

Richard Lessner, American Renewal

Charles P. Noell II, Tradition Family Property

Ron Pearson, Conservative Victory Fund

Kirby Wilbur, Citizens United

Benjamin C. Works, SIRUS

Roger W. Robinson, Jr., William J. Casey Institute