ABSTRACT
While President George W. Bush was probably the harshest opponent of arms control of all US presidents since the beginning of the atomic age, President Obama has publicly spoken out in favour of global zero during his 2008 presidential campaign and since (Obama 2009). The picture is similar but less clear cut with respect to missile defence. While President George W. Bush supported missile defence as much as President Reagan did, President Obama downgraded missile defence on his list of priorities, as he first wanted to be convinced that it is technically feasible and economically sensible. On the other hand, Obama has continued to spend nearly twice as much on missile defence as President Clinton.
