Location: The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium

Recent reports in the Polish media suggest that the Obama Administration may abandon its plans for “Third Site” missile defense installations in Poland and the Czech Republic.  Despite past conditional assurances and support for Third Site, President Obama has now sought to distance himself from them, following strong Russian objections laid out during his trip to Moscow in July.  Missile defenses are needed now more than ever, in the face of an increasingly aggressive Iran, highlighted by its rapidly advancing nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.  The National Air and Space Intelligence Center stated earlier this year that Iran could develop a missile capable of reaching the United States as early as 2015.

A reversal of plans for Third Site missile defenses would represent a capitulation to Russian demands and the appeasement of the illegitimate and brutal Iranian regime.  Canceling or delaying the Third Site would also be an unthinkable abandonment of two of America’s most important allies in Central and Eastern Europe.  Such a move would be a surrender of American influence on the world stage at a time when U.S. leadership is crucial.

Please join The Heritage Foundation in examining the current threats facing the United States and how Third Site missile defenses are a cost-effective and proven defense against the threats facing America and its allies, as well as the public diplomacy implications of abandoning Third Site.