Missile Defense

A defense from ballistic missiles has long been a goal of both the United States and Soviet Union/Russia.

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• 1967 Remarks at the Signing of the Treaty on Outer Space
• 1983 President Reagan's SDI Speech (excerpts)
• 1984 Foreword Written for a Report on the Strategic Defense Initiative
• 2001 Address to the American People about Ballistic Missile Defense
• 2001 Russian President Putin's response to the U.S. decision to withdraw from the ABM treaty
• 2002 White House Statement on Progress in Missile Defense Capabilities

We need a new framework that allows us to build Missile defenses to counter the different threats of today's world. To do so, we must move beyond the constraints of the 30 year old ABM Treaty. This treaty does not recognize the present, or point us to the future. It enshrines the past. No treaty that prevents us from addressing today's threats, that prohibits us from pursuing promising technology to defend ourselves, our friends and our allies is in our interests or in the interests of world peace.