Bush Presses for Missile Shield

Feb. 13 -- In the aftermath of a pair of military accidents, President Bush is continuing his push for improvements in the armed forces with a visit to a NATO base today.

On the second day of his weeklong series of events focusing on military preparedness, Bush visited the Norfolk Naval Air Station, calling for the need for a National Missile Defense system and urging greater cooperation between the United States and its European allies.

"The dangers ahead confront us all," Bush said while addressing troops this morning. "The defense we build must protect us all. We must extend our peace by expanding our technology."

Hopes of Persuading NATO

NATO allies have expressed reservations about the missile-defense system. But Bush hopes to persuade them of its necessity.

"We will cooperate in the work of peace, we will consult early and candidly with our NATO allies, and we'll expect them to return the same," Bush said. "In diplomacy and technology in missile defense, in fighting warsand, above all, in preventing wars, we must work as one."

The president said he wanted a "new architecture for the defense of America and our allies," in order to keep pace with the changing realities of security policy.

"We must confront the threats that come on a missile," Bush said. "With shared intelligence and enforcement, we must confront the threats that come in a shipping container or in a suitcase. We have no higher priority than the defense of our people against terrorist attack."

Bush gave his speech at Norfolk Naval Air Station because it is the only NATO base on U.S. soil. After arriving, Bush visited the joint forces command and participated in a video teleconferencing battle exercise.

"I had a glimpse of future threats and the technology that will be needed to greet them," the new commander-in-chief said, with flags from the 19 NATO nations behind him as he spoke.

Before delivering his address, Bush asked for a moment of silence in recognition of the six soldiers who died on Monday in an Army helicopter crash in Hawaii.