Bush promises early NMD system

US. Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush made his major election pledges on Aug. 3, vowing to boost the nation¡¯s military power and promote the early completion of the National Missile Defense (NMD) system.

In his acceptance speech for the Republican nomination during the 2000 Republican National Convention at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pa., Bush said that if elected president, he would strive to reduce nuclear arms and global tensions.

Bush renewed his call for a comprehensive national missile defense system to be created at "the earliest possible date`` to protect the United States from possible attacks and threats. He denounced Clinton`s proposal for a more limited missile shield, saying it bowed to Russian concerns that the NMD would spark an arms race and violate a key weapons treaty.

"Now is not the time to defend outdated treaties, but to defend the American people,`` he told the more than 2,000 delegates attending the convention. His remarks were interpreted as indicating that the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty with Russia might be scrapped if revising it to build the NMD is not possible.

In the speech, largely devoted to domestic affairs, Bush also said that the world wants U.S. power and leadership and the military needs better equipment, training and treatment.

"We will give our military the means to keep the peace, and we will give it one more thing more,`` he said.

On the economy, Bush vowed to tap the recent financial boom and promised to spend the mammoth budget surplus on large tax cuts for all. "Now is the time to reform the tax code and share some of the surplus with the people who pay the bills,`` he said.

He said he would ensure the promise of prosperity reached all the forgotten corners of the country.

With the acceptance speech, the Republicans wrapped up the presidential nomination procedure and kicked off a full-fledged campaign to recapture the White House.