Many have chemical and biological weapons. They seek weapons of mass destruction to intimidate their neighbors and to keep the United States and other nations from helping allies and friends in strategic parts of the world. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world joined forces to turn him back. Many care little for the lives of their own people. In such a world, Cold War deterrence is no longer enough.
Defenses can strengthen deterrents by reducing the incentive for proliferation.
We need a new framework that allows us to build missile defenses to counter the different threats of today's world. This treaty does not recognize the present or point us to the future. It enshrines the past. Under the defense missile system, Bush plans to encourage more cuts in nuclear weapons, but the president pointed out that nuclear weapons still play a vital role in U.S. security and that of U.S. allies. We can and will change the size, the composition, the character of our nuclear forces in a way that reflects the reality that the Cold War is over.