George W. Bush,  Missile Defense

Missile Defense Watch: Bush Wins NATO Endorsement of European Missile Defense Shield

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President George Bush today won NATO’s endorsement of his proposed missile defense shield for Europe despite Russia’s opposition.

President Bush won NATO’s endorsement Thursday for his plan to build a missile defense system in Europe over Russian objections. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called it a “breakthrough agreement” for the military alliance.

“Now it is clearly understood in the alliance that the challenges of the 21st century, the threats of the 21st century, make it necessary to have missile defense that can defend the countries of Europe,” Rice told reporters at the NATO summit.

Progress on missile defense represented perhaps the biggest boon to Bush from the NATO summit. Russia has fiercely opposed it.

Rice also noted that NATO has “also asked Russia to stop its criticism of the alliance effort and to join in the cooperative efforts that have been offered to it by the United States.”

A NATO statement calls on the alliance to explore ways in which the planned U.S. project, to be based in Poland and the Czech Republic, can be linked with future missile shields elsewhere. It says leaders should come up with recommendations to be considered at their next meeting in 2009.

The U.S. plan calls for 10 interceptor missiles based in Poland and a tracking radar site in the Czech Republic.

Kudos to the President for his steady support for missile defense for the United States and her allies.

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