Obama's Policy Does Not Allow Missile Defense to Be Part of START Talks

WASHINGTON, March 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org, has released a statement today fully endorsing and supporting President Obama and Secretary Gates' policy positions on missile defense as released in February 2010 with the BMDR report. Ellison also notes however, that any inclusion of missile defense in the Follow On START talks which are nearing completion would be directly contrary to President Obama's policy for missile defense.

His remarks are as follows:

"Secretary of Defense Robert Gates under the direction of President Obama put forward the most positive statement of support for missile defense done by a Democratic President since President Lyndon Johnson, as the Ballistic Missile Defense Review Report was announced and released last month.

Under the guidance from the President of the United States and the direction of Congress the report laid out, in order of priority, the following policy positions:

1. The United States will continue to defend the homeland against the threat of limited ballistic missile attack.

2. The United States will defend against regional missile threats to U.S. forces, while protecting allies and partners and enabling them to defend themselves.

3. Before new capabilities are deployed, they must undergo testing that enables assessment under realistic operational conditions.

4. The commitment to new capabilities must be fiscally sustainable over the long term.

5. United States ballistic missile defense capabilities must be flexible enough to adapt as threats change.

6. The United States will seek to lead expanded international efforts for missile defense.

These policy directives on missile defense by the President and the Secretary of Defense are to be fully endorsed and supported.  They are the right objectives at the right time for our nation and the world in response to the ballistic missile threats we face today and in the future."  

Ellison concluded with: "As talks between Russia and the United States for the successor to the START treaty to reduce strategic forces come to closure, any stated or implied reference, linkage or limitations on missile defense, bi-laterally or unilaterally is unacceptable, as this would be directly contrary to President Obama and Secretary Gates' stated policy positions on missile defense."

SOURCE Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance

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