01 September 2000 Cohen Supports Clinton's Decision on Missile Defense Defense Secretary William Cohen responded September 1 to President Clinton's decision to defer to his successor a deployment decision on a limited National Missile Defense (NMD) system, saying that he supports this approach. Cohen called attention to "several emerging threats" which warrant deployment of an effective missile defense program "as soon as technologically feasible," and said that, in the meantime, the United States will "aggressively proceed with the NMD testing program and continue consultations with Russia." Following is the text of Cohen's written statement as released by the Defense Department: September 1, 2000 Statement of Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen The President's choice to defer a deployment decision on a National Missile Defense system to his successor involved many factors. Central for me, as I have stated publicly, is the importance of sustaining a solid national consensus not only on the need for an NMD system but on the scope and structure of such a system. The President's statement today underscores the importance of having the next President fully involved in decisions regarding the future of the program before committing the U.S. to a deployment strategy. I support this approach. I have noted on many occasions that several emerging threats warrant the deployment of an effective missile defense program as soon as technologically feasible and I will work closely with my successor on providing all appropriate information. In the meantime, we will aggressively proceed with the developmental testing program and also continue our consultations with the Congress, our allies, and with Russia. (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) Return to the Washington File