Bush to Consult Allies on Missile DefenseUS President George W. Bush will begin consulting U.S. allies next week on his controversial plans to build a missile defense system, Bush's counselor Karen Hughes told reporters Friday.Bush would make a speech at the National Defense University in Washington next Tuesday, in which he would link deployment of a defense shield for the United States and its allies with reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Hughes said. "He may make some phone calls himself, but we'll begin the process of having some of our people travel and meet with different leaders," Hughes said. "In his speech, the president would talk about the changing realities of the world and preview efforts by the administration to go out and consult with our allies," Hughes said. "He is going to talk about moving beyond the Cold War view of the world in which our defense was based on a nuclear balance of terror and talk about the emerging threat, the threats today that are far different than they were 10 or 15 or 30 years ago," She said. "He's also going to make a strong case about the need to work with our allies and friends to protect all of us from those changing threats," Hughes added. |
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