Bush to outline missile defense plan in speech

Bush said an anti-ballistic missile system "will make our world a safer world"

By CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush plans to deliver a speech Tuesday outlining his rationale for a national missile defense plan, an administration official said Thursday.

The speech will be the springboard for previously announced administration plans to consult with key allies in the spring in an effort to overcome skepticism and opposition.

Bush decided not to begin construction this year of an radar station on an Alaskan island that would be involved in the missile defense network. The Clinton administration had deferred to Bush the decision whether to proceed with the station.

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Instead, President Bush decided to wait for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to review military spending. Rumsfeld has told deputies he considers the missile shield a top priority.

The president's speech is the opening foray in making the case to allies and the American people, the White House official said. Bush plans two trips to Europe over the next several months and administration officials want to consult with key allies beforehand and make their case for the missile shield.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Bush said his administration is very serious about the development of anti-ballistic missile systems because they "will make our world a safer world."

"It is important for us to use our resources and technologies to develop such a system so as to make threats to people around the world that, you know, as obsolete as possible, as irrelevant as possible," he said. "And that threat's not only in the Far East, but in the Middle East, as well, and to our own homeland."

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