He affirmed that the U.S. government will move ahead to "replace" the Antiballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in order to develop "effective missile defenses that could protect the United States, our deployed forces, our friends, and our allies."
The cost of developing the weapons would go beyond the initial $60 billion projected under the Clinton administration for an antimissile system. The plan is envisioned to include ship-borne radar and missile firing systems as well as airborne or space-based lasers. Bush, who had informed imperialist allies of his plans prior to the speech, said he will dispatch top aides to explain Washington's goals to Asia, Australia, Europe, and Canada over the next several weeks. Bush reiterated his plan to substantially reduce the more than 7,000 active nuclear warheads currently in the U.S. arsenal.
A system designed to locate, target, and destroy a missile soon after launch, while it is still moving relatively slowly and emitting hot flames, has a greater chance of success than systems recently tested. These target a missile in space, when it is cold and traveling at a high velocity, something Pentagon contractors have so far not been able to do with intercept rockets. Deploying a boost-phase system means having ships and submarines with antimissile weapons stationed off the coast of countries Washington deems a "threat" as well as constant surveillance by airborne and space-based sensing devices.
One program being developed by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and TRW is the Airborne Laser Program. The companies say they will outfit a 747 airplane with an oxygen-iodine laser by 2003.
Secretary of State Colin Powell told the House International Relations Committee the following day that the U.S. government will no longer participate in the U.S.-Russian Standing Consultative Commission, which meets to discuss potential violations of the ABM Treaty. Instead, Powell said, he will meet with his Russian counterpart in three weeks to emphasize "our total commitment to missile defense programs."
Washington is casting its antimissile program to appeal to the British, French, and German governments. "European allies have responded warmly to Mr. Bush's willingness," wrote the Financial Times, "to consult them before proceeding. The word 'national' has been dropped from 'missile defense' as a sign that the new defenses would include allies." In his May 1 speech Bush repeated six times that the missile shield will protect "friends and allies."
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Lucas Fischer told the Danish parliament April 29 that Washington will "deploy defenses as soon as possible. Therefore, we believe that the ABM Treaty will have to be replaced, eliminated, or changed in a fundamental way." The Danish government rules over Greenland, where the Pentagon maintains a radar station that would be a key part of the antimissile system.
Bush's speech came one day after German chancellor Gerhard Schröder announced an initiative by the German ruling class to create a more centralized European Union government, a move that "reflects Berlin's efforts to carve a greater German leadership role in Europe," an article in the International Herald Tribune noted April 30. By stating its willingness to use the antimissile shield in Europe to reinforce its massive military forces on the continent, Washington is assuring for itself a commanding role in the affairs of its imperialist allies and competitors in Europe.
Bush repeats Clinton's arguments
Repeating an argument made by William Clinton before him, Bush said development of the weapons is justified because "more nations have nuclear weapons and still more have nuclear aspirations. Many have chemical and biological weapons" and some "have developed ballistic missile technology." The U.S. president, whose government has the world's largest nuclear arsenal, said the "list of these countries include some of the world's least-responsible states.... for whom terror and blackmail are a way of life." Both Clinton and Bush have named north Korea, Iraq, and Libya as among those "rogue states," meaning governments that are not to Washington's liking.
The antimissile system, however, would give Washington a nuclear first-strike capability, a point reiterated by former secretary of state Henry Kissinger at a high-level government conference in Europe earlier this year. It would enable Washington to use its nuclear forces to threaten countries where capitalism has been overturned, such as China and Russia, as well as others that get crossways with U.S. imperialism.
The Washington Post reported April 30 that the administration's change in the U.S. government's "nuclear posture" includes "slashing the number of strategic warheads, taking most B-52s and B-2 bombers out of the nuclear force, and shifting some targets from Russia to China."
The paper quotes Bruce Blair of the Center for Defense Information as saying that Bush's proposals will mean "a 50 percent reduction in Russian targets and a 100 percent increase in China targets" for nuclear weapons.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Terry Sutherland announced the same day that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had "directed the suspension of all Defense Department programs, contacts, and activities with the People's Republic of China until further notice." A clarification later on April 30 said any contacts were to be approved on a case-by-case basis. The Pentagon issued a statement that "U.S. troops shall not wear berets made in China" and directed the Army to recall and dispose of nearly 500,000 of the berets already received.