December 17, 2004 :: News
Today is the second anniversary of President Bush’s announcement that the United States would be deploying missile defenses by the end of 2004. One day earlier, on December 16, the president signed National Security Presidential Directive-23, directing the deployment of missile defenses “in 2004.” That directive renewed Bush’s 2000 campaign pledge to do the same.
For many months now, the head of the Missile Defense Agency had suggested that the deployment would take place by the first of October, 2004. For various reasons that did not take place, and both deployment and the test of the interceptor were put off and delayed. Integrated Flight Test-13C was attempted earlier this week, but did not take place, the interceptor remaining in its silo due to an unknown “anomaly.”
Today, Rachel D’Oro of the Associated Press writes that actual deployment may be delayed still further, into 2005. Given the unsuccessful completion of IFT-13C, there is likely also political pressure to delay further. But the administration should instead renew its commitments of the past, and actively deploy the system as soon as possible.
» Dec. 17, 2004: AP: Operational deployment may be delayed into 2005
» Dec. 17, 2002: Bush pledges to deploy
» Text of Dec. 16, 2002 NSPD-23, directing the deployment of missile defenses
» More stories on: Deployment
