Political Quotes

“The effect of the ABM Treaty has been to deny the United States the legal right to test technologies, not only radars that are aboard ships, such as the Aegis fire control system radar, but also space-based elements such as sensors that could assist in making sure the system was effective, that it was workable, and that it did what we hoped it would do, and that was knock an incoming missile down before it struck the United States. Just recently, as an example, Secretary Rumsfeld announced that some tests that had been planned on this program development schedule were being canceled because to undertake the tests as planned and as needed for this system would violate the terms and the understanding we have had with Russia since the treaty was ratified, the ABM Treaty. There were demarcation agreements that were agreed to in the Clinton administration that limited the testing programs we were undertaking. All of that now is set aside.”