Russia is in the process of replacing those systems with new types of submarines and missiles. They will do that quite apart from what we do in the ABM Treaty. In either case, neither China nor Russia is an adversary. At the end of the day, if they conclude they need more offensive missiles for their security, that is, of course, their choice. For us, we need fewer offensive systems, but we need more effective defenses.
Biological weapons can be, and most reliably are, delivered by ballistic missiles.
It s just that engaging biological weapons is best done in the so-called boost or ascent phase. If you engage and shoot down the missile as it s ascending, you get it before the weapon payload has been dispensed, and that enables you to deal with it. Similarly, in chemical weapons, when you can get them in the early or mid-course part of the trajectory, the payload will tend to land on the country releasing it rather than its intended target. The speech had the right tone because it reflected the fact that the President has now developed a working hypothesis about a way to approach this issue. It s time to consult with our allies about American thinking on this issue to get the benefits of their views before he proceeds further.