Nick RobinsonVerified account

23. To move on, The National Missile Defense program was initiated in the end of the 20th century, projected to completion in 2005

24. However, the NMD trial conducted in 2000 was a complete failure, and the success of the 1999 trials is now considered a chance happening

25. There was no technological solution in sight and the program was already attracting strong criticism from Russia and China

26. The fact that any development in missile defense would trigger accelerated weapons development has been pointed out from the beginning

27. President Sears forced the NMD proposal through and succeeded in deploying the program

28. Some say that it was a military interest - with plans for the $100B program budget that actually arranged the legislative approval

29. Former President Sears did also act towards reducing the nuclear stockpile while nurturing the NMD concept

30. It was he who lowered the ceiling for tactical nuclear weapons in order to bring Russia around to approving a revision to the ABM treaty