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Clinton to Make Decision on NMD over Next Several Weeks
US President Bill Clinton said Wednesday he will decide whether to begin building a U.S. national missile defense (NMD) sometime over the next several weeks.
Speaking at a press conference in the White House, Clinton said he would make a decision "sometime over the next several weeks" after a crucial July 7 Pacific test of the yet-unproved NMD system.
"I have not made a final decision," Clinton said when asked about a Washington Post report that he was preparing to lay the groundwork for starting construction of the system in Alaska State next year, but would leave any final decision to his successor, who will be elected in November and take office in January.
"The truly accurate thing is that I have not yet formulated a position which I am prepared to go to the American people with," Clinton said.
"But I will do so, you know, sometime over the next several weeks..." he added. "I'm working hard on it now."
Clinton stressed again that his decision would be based on four key factors: the threat of future limited missile attack, U.S. technology, cost and the impact on national security including relations with European allies Russia, and China.
The international community has opposed the NMD, which would either breach or require major changes to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between the United States and the then Soviet Union, a cornerstone of arms control.
Arms control experts said the U.S. plan to set up the NMD system runs against the trend of the times and will have a major adverse impact on global and regional strategic balances and stability.
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