News Release

December 17, 2002

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Missile Defense Program Will Provide No Real Protection
Defense expert responds to Bush's ground-based missile defense initiative

WASHINGTON -- President Bush announced today his plan to begin deploying a ground-based missile defense system by 2004. Responding to that announcement, Cato Senior Defense Policy Analyst Charles Peņa issued the following statement:

"The planned missile deployment is more a test bed than a real missile defense system. Although some of the rhetoric may suggest otherwise, the truth is that this initial deployment will not provide any meaningful protection of the American public. There is still more realistic testing to be done (particularly against decoys and other countermeasures) before an operationally effective missile defense can be proven viable and affordable. If such a system can be demonstrated, a truly national limited land-based missile defense designed to protect the U.S. homeland is the appropriate system against the potential limited threat of rogue states armed with ballistic missiles. But the United States should avoid pursuing an exorbitantly expensive global system to defend U.S. friends and allies overseas. The United States should not be the world's policeman (or armed social worker). Its friends and allies are wealthy enough to pay for their own missile defense. They spend too little on their own defense and already benefit from U.S. security guarantees."