George W. Bush

About the author: George W. Bush is president of the United States. The following is taken from a May 2001 speech to students and faculty at National Defense University.

The world has changed significantly since the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 1972. The Cold War is over, but the world remains a dangerous place in which many countries, some with irresponsible leaders, have nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities. The United States can no longer rely on the deterrence threat of nuclear retaliation to protect itself and its interests. America needs to pursue technologies that can protect against missile attacks.

Iwant us to think back some 30 years to a far different time in a far different world. The United...