Rumsfeld On the Offense to Sell Defense
Feb 5, 2005
For release: Monday, February 5, 2001
Contact: John Isaacs 202.543.4100 ×131
Dan Koslofsky 202.543.4100 ×125
Washington, DC— In a bid to convince European allies that national missile defense deployment is inevitable, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told European defense ministers at a weekend conference in Germany that the U.S. will make a decision to deploy. “The United States intends to develop and deploy a missile defense designed to defend our people and forces against a limited missile attack,” said Rumsfeld.
“Once again, proponents of missile defense are putting the cart before the horse,” said John Isaacs, president of Council for a Livable World, an arms control advocacy organization.
“Rumsfeld is trying give the illusion that deployment is inevitable, when today there is no workable technology,” added Isaacs.
“The Clinton missile defense system has been tested only three times, with only one partial success,” continued Isaacs. “The Bush Administration may opt for entirely different and untested technology based on sea or in space.”
Even Rumsfeld tacitly acknowledged that the system is likely to be flawed when he argued that missile defense “need not be perfect.”
Most NATO governments question the American missile defense plan. The Germans, French and Canadians have been particularly vocal, both before and during the conference.
“Rumsfeld’s message to Europeans:” said Isaacs, “Drink your castor oil even if you despise it.”
Rumsfeld resorted to one of the oldest rhetorical tricks of politicians when he labeled missile defense “a moral issue.”
“Beware of politicians and policy makers who argue morality rather than facts,” argued Isaacs. “It is one of the last refuges of scoundrels.”
Rumsfeld was supported by other American officials. Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman told the conference: “The question from an American point of view is not whether we will have a national missile defense but when and how.” Lieberman’s statement was extraordinary considering he also said that missile defense “is not a technologically feasible program” and deployment is “years away.”
It was not clear how a system that does not work at present, has not been budgeted for and cannot be deployed for at least 7 - 10 years is inevitable.
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