Weakest Man On Earth Reuters 'reports' below. Forgot to mention that the ABM bill contained a loophole that allows him to kill the whole scam anytime he wants. Hard to believe they didn't ask Clinton if he felt like a complete fool for signing the legislation that requires the next president to dump more $$$ into this B.S. Also, failed to note that Joseph Lieberman is a hard core Zionist. He will certainly persuade Gore to go ahead w/ this for the protection of Israel from Iraq and Iran.

Clinton Leaves Missile Defense to Successor 9/1/00 By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton on Friday left to his successor to decide whether to deploy a national missile defense system, saying he would not do so himself because of test failures and diplomatic disputes. ``I have decided not to authorize deployment of a national missile defense at this time,'' Clinton said in a speech at Georgetown University. He made the decision in the face of two spectacular $100 million test failures this year of the system to intercept incoming missiles, and after hearing sharp differences within his administration on whether to go forward. He directed Defense Secretary William Cohen to continue testing to try to work out the bugs. ``We have made progress but we should not move forward until we have absolute confidence the system will work,'' he said. Clinton said more time is needed as well to try to find a diplomatic solution to what has been a brewing confrontation between the United States and the staunch opponents to a U.S. missile defense, Russia and China. European allies have questioned it as well. In Moscow, Gen. Leonid Ivashov, a senior Russian Defense Ministry official, hailed the decision, saying it showed ``elements of a constructive approach.'' In Brussels, NATO welcomed the decision as a prudent one. Clinton's action effectively will leave a decision on whether to deploy a national missile defense to his successor. At issue is the proposed construction of a high-technology shield against ballistic missiles, which is designed to be operational by 2005 to protect against the possibility of missile attacks from states like North Korea, Iran and Iraq. It is projected to cost anywhere from $25 billion to $60 billion. Election Campaign Clinton leaves office in January. His action meant a missile defense can be a part of this fall's election campaign. Republican George W. Bush (news - web sites) said in a statement he will deploy a missile defense ``at the earliest possible date'' He said Clinton and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore (news - web sites), ``first denied the need for missile defenses, then delayed. Now they are leaving this important unfinished business for the next president,'' and he welcomed the opportunity ``to act where they have failed.'' ``We've been working on this program for years,'' responded Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger. ``We've spent $5 billion on this program. It has moved, I think, quite vigorously.'' Gore said he agreed with Clinton's decision because it allows for additional testing. ``I welcome the opportunity to be more certain that these technologies actually work together properly,'' he said. Fraser Cameron, political counselor at the European Union delegation in Washington, called it a ``sensible move.'' ``I'm not surprised given the results of the last test and the concerns of allies in Europe and Asia,'' he said. Stephen Young, a driving force in the lobby against building a missile system, said: ``President Clinton had to face the facts. This program is a lemon. Almost everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong, from test failures to scheduling delays to international reaction.'' Clinton's decision meant he will not take steps to begin building an anti-missile radar in Alaska, which would be the first step in deploying a missile shield. That effectively delays the 2005 deployment date because, to meet the schedule laid out by the Pentagon, the first contracts for the radar would have to be awarded by December to allow building to begin next spring. Clinton said most experts now believe a system cannot be operational until 2006 or 2007 and that this time frame could probably be met even with the delay he has imposed. ``If the next president decides to move forward next year, the system still could be ready in the same time frame,'' he said. Berger told reporters the threat of attack remained real because said it is believed North Korea, Iran and Iraq may develop a ballistic missile capability over the next decade. ``We believe that the problems encountered in the two most recent tests, where we failed to achieve an intercept, presumably can be corrected, but more time and information is needed to confirm that this is possible,'' he said. A $100 million test in July failed when a warhead did not separate from its booster rocket and intercept a dummy warhead over the Pacific Ocean. An October 1999 test was successful but one in January failed. Vehement Opposition Russia and China vehemently oppose a U.S. missile defense. Moscow has refused to agree to amend the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty and has said it would stop nuclear arms cuts under other treaties if Washington broke the ABM accord. Berger indicated he did not want to move ahead with the system absent an agreement with Russia on amending the treaty. While ``no one has a veto over America's security decisions,'' he said, ``I believe it would be far preferable to move forward in the context of arms control and not in the context of undercutting arms control.'' A U.S. official said Clinton made his decision after thoroughly reviewing recommendations from his senior advisers, including Defense Secretary William Cohen, and took into account threat, cost, technical feasibility and overall impact on national security, including arms control. The Pentagon said Cohen did not present a single formal recommendation to Clinton on the issue, as had been expected, but made his view known to Clinton over a period of time. He met Clinton on Tuesday night. Arms control expert Kim Holmes said that since Clinton himself signed Republican-initiated legislation making it U.S. policy to deploy a missile defense when technically feasible, it was the law of the land and ``not a question of whether, but how.'' ``There is a large majority of people who think we should have missile defense in this country so I'm not so sure he'll have helped Al Gore,'' Holmes said.

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