Correcting the Record: Carnegie and Missile Defense

May 26, 2004
By Carmen MacDougall

On behalf of the Carnegie Endowment, I must alert you to an egregious statement stating that the Endowment is "an organization that has devoted millions of dollars to crippling and killing US missile defenses."

The Carnegie Endowment does not take institutional positions. In fact, we have associates with different, and opposing, viewpoints on missile defense. Furthermore, the idea that we have spent millions on this issue is completely wrong. Experts at the Endowment have supported a reasonable and affordable research program to explore defenses against long-range missiles and the fielding and improvement of theater defense to protect our troops and allies. Some experts at the Endowment argue for immediately fielding a national missile defense system; others argue against immediately fielding such a system. No one here is working to "cripple" or "kill" U.S. missile defenses.

Presenting hyperbole as fact is poor journalism, and your readers deserve better.

Carmen E. MacDougall

Vice President for Communications

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace