Profile in Courage #1: Donald Rumsfeld Calls for Missile Defenses, an End to A.B.M. Treaty Impediments

(Washington, D.C.): On the 28 January edition of The NewsHour with Jim
Lehrer, Donald
Rumsfeld made a signal contribution to the debate over defending America against ballistic missile
attack: The influential former Congressman, White House Chief of Staff, U.S. Ambassador to
NATO and Secretary of Defense declared that the United States needed to deploy anti-missile
defenses.

This statement is all the more powerful for it coming on the heels of Secretary Rumsfeld’s
most
recent act of public service — as chairman of the blue-ribbon, congressionally mandated
Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States. Under his leadership, the
Rumsfeld Commission unanimously concluded that the Nation likely would have “little or no
warning of emerging ballistic missile threats.”

Among the highlights of Mr. Rumsfeld’s appearance — together with, among others, Robert
Bell,
a senior member of President Clinton’s National Security Council staff responsible for defense
programs and arms control — were the following comments:

• “I do [think a national missile defense…is necessary.] There is no question but that the threat
  is
  there. And I was very pleased to hear Secretary Cohen state that fact, that the threat is here
  and now. I think that the decision on the part of the administration to put some money behind
  that decision was also important, as well as the decision to recognize the fact that the A.B.M.
  Treaty is inhibiting development of and deployment of such a program….”

• “The argument that we shouldn’t do anything until we can do everything simply doesn’t
  work.
  Throughout the whole history of mankind there have been advances in military technologies
  where there is an improved offense and then an improved defense and an improved offense.
  It’s never been static; it will not be in this instance.”

• “There just isn’t a doubt in my mind. If we relieve ourselves of the restrictions of [the 1972
  Anti-Ballistic Missile] Treaty so that we do not have to do contortions to do what is the
  quickest, cheapest, most effective way of doing this [developing a missile defense system], and
  organize to do it in an effective way, that the United States will be able to do it.”

“Will it be perfect? No. Will it be able to solve every problem, terrorist attacks and
everything else? Of course not. But I certainly agree that it ought to be able to protect
the 50 states and possessions. It ought to be able to deal with the shorter-range threats
as well as the longer-range threats, that is to say a shorter-range ballistic missile from a
ship.”

The Bottom Line

The American people owe a debt of gratitude to Secretary Rumsfeld for his strategic vision,
his
commitment to principle and his forceful leadership. It is these qualities — and the myriad
achievements they have made possible — that prompted the Center for Security to recognize this
“Profile in Courage” with its 1998 Keeper of the Flame award.