World Opposition to Star Wars

American Opposition:

“I have come to the conclusion that missile defense is becoming more like faith than science or reason. If only we believe, it will work. Yesterday, President Bush announced his intention to scrap the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and move ahead with an unspecified missile defense system. His position is an invitation to a new worldwide arms race. He asks us to defend our nation with a technology that you, the best scientists in America, have said can easily be defeated or just does not work.”

Statement by U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), upon being honored by Union of Concerned Scientists, May 1, 2001

Russian Opposition:

Russian government officials have become increasingly belligerent in their opposition to Star Wars - warning that a decision to proceed with the missile defense scheme will lead to a new arms race.

For example President Putin, when addressing the Russian parliament vowed that:

“If, after we ratify the START II Treaty in conjunction with these accords, the US proceeds to destroy the 1972 ABM Treaty-and I want to make this clear — . . . if that happens, we can and will withdraw not only from the START II Treaty, but from the whole system of treaty relations having to do with the limitation and control of strategic and conventional arms.”

Such sentiment has been mirrored by Russian defense minister Marshall Igor Sergeyev, Colonel General Vladimir Yakovlev, Commander in Chief of the Russian Strategic Missile Force and Russian Security Council Chief Sergei Ivanov among others.

European Opposition:

In Europe, many NATO member States are expressing concern about the US plan for Star Wars and the negative effect it may have on arms control:

“How do you convince (nations) to stop piling up new arms when more powerful countries say it’s necessary to develop technologies that put hard-won strategic balances into question?” - French president, Jacques Chirac.