15 August 2001

White House Report: Bush/Defense Policy

"The true threats" facing the United States, its friends and allies, come not from Russia but from the terrorist nations - the rogue nations - that are developing weapons of mass destruction, President Bush says.

These weapons "may be pointed at us, may be pointed at our friends, the Israelis, or other allies we have, to hold us hostage, conduct international blackmail," the President said late August 15 at a dinner in Albuquerque to honor U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, (Republican-New Mexico).

"As we go into the 21st century, we need to have new strategic relations with some of our old enemies," said Bush.

The Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, set up with the then-Soviet Union during the Cold War, "is out-moded, out-dated," Bush said. "It codified a hateful relationship that no longer exists. We need to move beyond the days of the Cold War ... by getting rid of the ABM Treaty once and for all."

Bush told the guests that he has had "some fascinating" discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on these subjects. The most recent meeting of the two was at the G-8 Summit in Genoa, Italy earlier this summer.

"I told him in plain terms," said Bush. "I said, Mr. President, you don't have anything to fear from the United States. We're a peaceful nation. We don't view you as our enemy" and therefore, "we need to get rid of those ancient treaties, codified during a time when we hated each other, so that America can develop the technologies and defenses necessary to protect ourselves and our allies from the true threats of the 21st century.".

He reminded his audience that his administration has told U.S. friends and allies around the world that "we will consult with them, and we will. And I told Mr. Putin, come along with us. It's a chance to set up a new strategic relationship. And we'll see how it goes.

"I think we're making pretty good progress," said the President.

Bush added that he has asked Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to develop a strategic vision for what the U.S. military "ought to look like today and what it ought to look like tomorrow to keep the peace; how we can remain strong and ready at this moment; and as importantly, how we can use technologies to devise a military that will be harder to find, more lethal when it moves, easier to move, and that will incorporate the new technologies so that we don't waste taxpayers' money when it comes to building the weapons systems of the future."

Bush told the dinner guests: "My point to you is that we'll remain strong when it comes to our military, and wise when it comes to our planning, and ready when it comes to the true threats that face the American people as we head into the 21st century."

After dinner, the President returned to his ranch in Crawford, Texas where he and the First Lady are on vacation during the month of August.