Missile Defense Receives Validation with Dismantling of North Korea's Nuclear Program

Missile Defense Receives Validation with Dismantling of North Korea's Nuclear Program

February 15, 2007

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- With the
announcement that North Korea would suspend its nuclear
programs in exchange for economic and energy aid, Riki
Ellison, Founder & President of the Missile Defense
Advocacy Alliance (http://missiledefenseadvocacy.org),
voiced his organization's support for what appears to be
the first major step forward in diplomatic relations with
North Korea in the last several years.

    "MDAA extends our memberships' gratitude and
recognition for the bold leadership of The People's
Republic of China in leading the pressure that no other
country could do to bring North Korea to the accord.  We
must also give credit to our President who forged the
relationship with the President of China and articulately
convinced the Chinese that it was in their best interests
to bring closure to North Korea peacefully," Ellison
stated.

    Mr. Ellison touted the missile defense forces deployed
worldwide as being key to North Korea's decision to accept
the agreement, stating that, "It is resoundingly clear
that the United States deployment and continued development
of Missile Defense assets this past summer in lieu of the
North Korean ballistic missile launches and its denotation
of a nuclear weapon this past fall was part of the
diplomatic solution."

    He further argued that "The ground based
interceptors in the US and sea based interceptors
throughout the Pacific, in combination with the series of
successful missile defense tests this past year, sent North
Korea a clear message of defense, dissuasion and deterrence
that helped enabled the diplomatic solution.  Because of
our Missile Defense, the United States was able to be more
flexible to compromise with the demands of North Korea. The
investment spent on Missile Defense by our country was well
worth the linkage to reduce proliferation and make that
region of the world a safer place."

    In closing, Riki Ellison was remindful that, "It
is of merit that we must, as a nation, continue to invest
in missile defense and continue to deploy these systems
around the world, as though the accord is successful, there
will be a time when the 1 million tons of fuel will be not
enough and hunger for more will drive irrational acts of
world proportion." 

    NOTE:  Riki Ellison is one of the top experts and the
leading layperson on missile defense with more than 25
years of experience.  

    For more information, please contact: 

     Chris Marks 
     Communications Officer
     Tel: [phone]

     Mike Terrill 
     Tel: [phone]


SOURCE  Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance