Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA),
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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