Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE IN THE 1990S
tions. In 1996, Clinton countered congressional pressure for
BMD with a veto. 52
Events, however, conspired against the treaty: the proliferation
of missiles and NBC concerns with a number of countries;
the Rumsfeld Report; North Korean missile developments; and
domestic politics, especially Democratic fears that Republicans
would use BMD as an issue in the 2000 elections. These
events forced the administration to make key concessions, if
not to capitulate, to BMD proponents. In January 1999, Secretary
of Defense William Cohen announced a $6.6 billion,
five-year program to develop a BMD system in addition to the
almost $4 billion already budgeted. Cohen declared that the
United States was seeking limited changes in the ABM treaty
that would permit deployment of a restricted BMD and added
that, failing such amendments, the United States might withdraw
from the treaty. One journalist observed that Cohen’s
announcement “angered the Russians, dismayed arms control
advocates and spurred new efforts by congressional hawks to
abandon the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty, which they believe
inhibits US ability to protect itself against a growing missile
threat.” 53
Meanwhile, the administration attempted to reassure the
Russians and arms-control supporters. Within hours of Cohen’s
remarks, top administration officials, including Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright and the president’s national security
advisor, Samuel Berger, clarified or, according to some, repudiated
Cohen’s words. 54 In an attempt to encourage the Russians
to agree to treaty modifications, the administration went as far
as to offer US financial support to help the Russians finish an
important radar installation in Siberia and upgrade another in
Azerbaijan. Although there were a few weak mixed signals from
Moscow, the Russians held to the view that the ABM treaty had
to remain intact. 55
Nevertheless, Clinton bent to the political realities as the Congress
passed, by a veto-proof margin, a National Missile Defense
bill in March 1999. In July, Clinton signed the measure that
called for a national BMD as soon as technically feasible. The
president also pledged to make the hard and fast decision in
June 2000, although it appeared to be a mere formality in view
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