George W. Bush For USA-Russia-China Consultations On Missile Defence

In his program speech on missile defence /NMD/ to be delivered at the National Defence University /Washington, DC/ on Tuesday, US President George W. Bush will qualify the 1972 Russian-US Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty /ABM Treaty/ as history, but will not openly call to withdrawing the US from the aforesaid treaty. The Washington Post newspaper reported about this on Tuesday, referring to a high profile White House spokesman familiar with the Bush speech. According to the newspaper, the president will point to the need to hold NMD consultations with Russia and China, who oppose the US plans in this sphere. Bush is expected in part to give reasons for creating a new missile defence system in the USA and confirm that his administration is committed to studying all the suggested NMD variants, including land-, sea- and space-based systems. Bush will also announce the need for the USA to reduce its nuclear arsenal to the lowest level, reported The Washington Post. Bush's speech will be rather conceptual and will give no details of the US plans regarding the NMD, which will be the subject of the US international consultations next week. Delegates from the US administration will head for the US principal allies and for Russia, reported the White House spokesman.