Some 71 percent of Europeans favor the deployment of a NATO missile defense capability able to protect the continent from attack by missiles bearing weapons of mass destruction, according to a poll that was jointly sponsored by the George C. Marshall Center for Security Studies and Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, the two organizations announced in Rome last week. By contrast, only 16 percent think that NATO should not have this capability.

"It is clear from the survey that the threat is real, urgent and needs to be addressed. In addition, there is a strong belief that NATO nations need to be at the forefront in finding a ballistic missile defense system capable of providing security for the nations in the region," said John Rose, Director of the Marshall Center in Garmisch, Germany.

The poll was conducted by the polling firm of Novatris/Harris with a margin error rate of +/- 2.9 percent in France, Germany, Britain, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Denmark. According to the poll, 56 percent of Europeans would support a deployment of BMD systems in their own countries. Further, 73 percent said it was a good idea for NATO to deploy BMD systems to protect troops in the field as well as citizens at home.

Just over a quarter of those polled, 26 percent said the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was the most significant threat facing Europe. However, twice as many, 52 percent, believed violent acts by terrorists groups pose the greatest threat. Only 3 percent saw China's growing military power as a threat.

Europeans were also laid about potential ballistic missile threats from the two remaining nations in what President George W. Bush in January 2002 described as the "Axis of Evil" - Iran and North Korea. Only 5 percent said they were concerned with Iran's nuclear ascendancy and even fewer, 3 percent said they were concerned about North.

There were clear majorities in favor of deploying missile defense systems in France (69 percent), Germany (68 percent), Britain (72 percent), Spain (54 percent), Italy (60 percent), Poland (84 percent), the Czech Republic (62 percent), the Netherlands (63 percent). Denmark polled lowest in this area with only 44 percent of those asked supporting the idea.

"The poll results strongly demonstrate that Europeans are concerned about the threat posed by ballistic missiles potentially armed with weapons of mass destruction," said Riki Ellison, President of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a not-for-profit organization that advocates missile defense. "They are determined to protect their way of life by fielding a purely defensive capability."