December 11, 2003 :: LA Times :: News
Governor Howard Dean and Senator Joseph Lieberman were the only two of six Democratic presidential candidates who came out in support of national missile defense, in their responses to a survey by the virulently anti-missile defense organization, Council for a Livable World.
Senator Lieberman was the more supportive, stating that that he “believes that any defense in the face of a nuclear missile attack is worth having, and as such he supports the fielding of the interceptor missiles at Ft. Greely, Alaska,” while also calling for regular testing and oversight.
Similarly, Democratic frontrunner Howard Dean has distanced himself from his party’s more characteristic opposition to missile defense: “Effective missile defense will be an important part of a Dean Administration’s national and homeland security strategy. In the recent Iraq War, we saw our tactical missile defenses effectively engage short-range missile attacks. Over time, our capabilities will expand to longer-range threats, and this is why President Clinton had authorized moving toward a ground-based missile defense for the United States, doing so on a time table that would ensure that the deployment would be capable of actually responding to an attack. A sound program of tactical, theatre and long-range missile defense can enhance our security…My priority will be to integrate missile defense into an overall national and homeland security effort which provides real defense for Americans at home and our forces and friends and allies abroad.”
(Article)» Full responses to Council for Livable World questionnaire
» Update: Dean would cut funding of Ground Based Interceptors (those based in Alaska)
» December 22: MDAA’s Riki Ellison challenges Dean to clarify his position on BMD, and apparent reversal
» More stories on: Policy
