President Obama should provide strong support to the planned European Missile Defense (EMD) system if he wishes to avert a growing danger of a nuclear arms race sweeping across the Middle East, an advocacy group leader said.
Riki Ellison, chairman and founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, made his comments as Congress is considering Obama’s defense budget plan for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2010, which would cut missile defense programs by an overall $1.2 billion down to $7.8 billion in the coming fiscal period.
That budget plan includes a mere $51 million for the EMD.
Rather, Ellison argued, robust missile defense is needed to dissuade other Middle Eastern nations from going nuclear themselves.
The calming effect of operational missile defense systems can be seen with the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system emplaced in Alaska and California, Ellison argued. Both Japan and South Korea have refrained from building nuclear weapons, relying on the U.S. GMD missile defense umbrella to protect them from a nukes-wielding North Korea, he said. The EMD would use a modified version of the GMD interceptor.
With almost 90 percent of Americans supporting missile defense, it is a disconnect to see a move to cut missile defense programs, Ellison said. “Think about it,” he added.