Agreement on Missile Defense Between Russia and the United States Is on the Horizon

To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Mike Terrill of MDAA, +1-602-885-1955

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, President of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, (www.missiledfenseadvocacy.org), went on record today with his MDAA membership discussing what an agreement on missile defense between Russia and the United States would mean in terms of stability and meeting the threat posed by Iran. His comments include the following:

"On the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush's retreat on the coast of the Black Sea at Sochi in Southern Russia this Sunday, we as a nation and a world wait with great anticipation for a collective endorsement of the proposed Missile Defense system to be placed in Europe and a mutual recognition of the threat from Iran by these two Presidents and the nations that they represent.

"This potential announcement of making our world safer would follow a string of international endorsements and acceptance for missile defense and add to the momentum of what has been achieved politically, technically and practically with Missile Defense. The significance of yesterday's 26 nations of NATO's endorsement of the European third site and recognition of the threat is monumental. The unilateral movement yesterday of the Czech Republic to agree to the deployment of a U.S. Missile Defense Radar adds great merit to the commitment and responsibility to help safeguard NATO and Europe from ballistic missile threats. The success of the U.S. Navy and the Missile Defense Agency in February of this year, destroying a toxic satellite from space that posed a risk to human life globally, if not intercepted added to the credibility and usability of missile defense.

"The demonstrated United States testing successes of the various missile defense systems and intercepts including the Japanese this past December propels the international acceptance of missile defense. Iran's continued quest for nuclear technology and proliferation of ballistic missiles to go beyond 1,300 kilometers remains the most ominous driver for the collective international action of missile defense."

"The displayed international resolve on missile defense provides another option than what is available today to confront Iran and those in the future that may choose to use ballistic missiles to threaten human life. To have missile defense in place along with economic sanctions, and diplomatic tools adds to the stability and safety to NATO as well as prevents the use of preemptive military force and war."

Note to media: Riki Ellison is available this weekend to discuss the significance of an agreement on missile defense between Presidents Putin and Bush. He recently visited both Poland and the Czech Republic and has seen where the ground-based interceptors and the radar to support them are located. This is an opportunity to get information prior to a potential announcement that will be heard around the world. Call Mike Terrill at 602 885-1955 to arrange.

SOURCE MDAA