US Pleased With Russia's Plan for Missile DefenseUS President George W. Bush on Thursday cheered Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for developing a missile defense system.White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said: "I think the president was pleased to see the Russians indicate a level of support for a national missile defense concept." "US officials would look at the specifics of the Russian proposal, and Bush would proceed with his own plans for a missile defense system," Fleischer said. Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev Tuesday handed over to NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson, who was visiting Moscow then, the plan for Russia's answer to the proposed US National Missile Defense system. The plan involves creating a Europe-based system to counter short-and-medium-range missiles, with a joint assessment of risks and the deployment of small, mobile anti-missile defenses as a last resort. Robertson said the plan showed that both NATO and Russia recognized the threat of missiles from unstable states and had to work together to counter it. |
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