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Bush says US Must Deploy Missile Defense
US President George W. Bush vowed Tuesday to develop and deploy a national missile defense (NMD) system to protect its people and its allies.
In his first speech to a joint session of Congress, Bush said: "We need a strong military to keep the peace. But our military was shaped to confront the challenges of the past. So I have asked the Secretary of Defense to review America's armed forces and prepare to transform them to meet emerging threats."
"My budget makes a down payment on the research and development that will be required. Our defense vision will drive our defense budget, not the other way around," Bush said.
"Our nation also needs a clear strategy to confront the threats of the 21st century, threats that are more widespread and less certain. They range from terrorists who threaten with bombs to tyrants and rogue nations intent upon developing weapons of mass destruction," he said.
"To protect our own people, our allies and friends, we must develop and we must deploy effective missile defense," Bush declared.
He said: "As we transform our military, we can discard Cold War relics and reduce our own nuclear forces to reflect today's needs."
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