Obama hopes START treaty will pass Congress soon

US President Barack Obama Thursday said he hoped that a landmark nuclear weapons deal with Russia would win Congress approval before the end of this year.

The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) was negotiated earlier this year to replace a similar treaty which expired at the end of December.

Obama appealed to Republicans to help approve the treaty when Congress returns on November 15, after the party put up stiff opposition to the new deal fearing it could hamper US missile defense plans.

“This is not a traditionally Democratic or Republican issue, but, rather, an issue of American national security,” Obama said at a cabinet meeting, two days after Republicans posted strong gains in congressional elections.

Stop START: Do Fewer Weapons Invite More Attacks?

We may well be facing a possible crisis of too few platforms to deploy a nuclear deterrent, and too few missile defense interceptors to protect us from rogue states. Let me explain.

Although approval of the new START treaty by Senate by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 16 appeared to be a slam dunk — the Committee debate was given only cursory attention — unrealized at the time was that Senate Republicans, despite the lopsided vote of 14-4, were warning the Obama administration that it still had work to do to ensure the treaty’s ratification in the Senate, and the security of over 300 million Americans.

Three key amendments considered by the Committee addressed issues critical to the future effectiveness of the US strategic deterrent capability. The Committee adopted an amendment authored by Senator Jim DeMint, while turning down two other amendments offered by Senators James Inhofe and John Barrasso.

It’s Time for the Senate to Vote on New START

The following is an opinion piece. It does not reflect the opinion of MDAA in any way, shape or form.

The Senate should promptly vote to approve the New Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty (New START) with Russia for one reason: It increases U.S. national security. This is precisely why Defense Secretary Robert Gates declared at the outset of Senate consideration of the treaty that it has “the unanimous support of America’s military leadership.”

The treaty reduces and caps the Russian nuclear arsenal. It reestablishes and makes stronger the verification procedures that allow U.S. inspectors to conduct on-site inspections and surveillance of Russian nuclear weapons and facilities. It strengthens international efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism, and it opens the door to progress on further critical nonproliferation efforts, such as reducing Russian tactical nuclear weapons.

Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has urged the Senate to ratify the treaty, and seven former Strategic Command (STRATCOM) chiefs have called on Senate leaders to move quickly.

New START—No Killer Flaws Emerge

Critics of the New START Treaty signed by President Obama and Medvedev two months ago, have raised no substantive objection that could prevent that treaty’s from being ratified. The New START will bring U.S. and Russian strategic forces to their lowest levels in 40 years. This post from the Brookings  Institute is the opinion of the author and theirs alone.

In the two months since the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was signed by Presidents Obama and Medvedev, critics have raised a number of questions about its terms and impact. So far, however, they have raised no substantive objection that could sink the treaty’s ratification prospects.

New START will reduce U.S. and Russian strategic warheads to a level of 1550—a cut of about 30 percent from what the sides were previously allowed. The treaty also sets limits on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and nuclear-capable bombers. These limits will bring U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces to their lowest levels in 40 years.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee opened Senate review of the treaty on May 18. In the weeks since the treaty text was released in April, we have already seen the principal questions of treaty critics. What are the objections? What are the responses?

The Case for the New START Treaty

Robert Gates summarizes the position of the Administration with regard to controversies in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

I first began working on strategic arms control with the Russians in 1970, an effort that led to the first Strategic Arms Limitation Agreement with Moscow two years later.

US Hopes to Ease Russia Fears on Missile Defense

Secretary of State Clinton

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the U.S. will continue to try to seek common ground with Russia on missile defense despite the Kremlin’s fear that such systems are aimed at crippling its nuclear arsenal.

She told a Pentagon briefing she understands reservations being voiced by Moscow about a new nuclear arms reduction treaty to be signed later this week.

Russia Seeks Limits on U.S. Arms after Pact

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, announced that Russia will withdraw from the treaty if Russia feels threatened by the United States missile defense plans.  Secretary of State Clinton weighed in by saying that “it’s no surprise that the Russians remain concerned about our missile defense program. The START treaty is not about missile defense [though].”  Lavrov continued on to say how it is important to have a world free of nuclear weapons, and therefore agrees with Obama’s statements regarding the issue.

Two days before Obama is to sign a landmark nuclear arms reduction pact with President Dmitry Medvedev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also repeated Moscow’s threat to withdraw from the treaty if U.S. missile defense plans threatened Russia.

But he suggested the plans were unlikely to pose a threat in the near future.

MDAA Alert: “No Way, No How”

Annoucement of New START Treaty

On April 8th, at the historic Prague Castle, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will sign an arms control treaty that reduces their strategic nuclear weapons and platforms to deliver those weapons. The treaty will then need to be ratified by both the U.S. Senate and the Russian Duma. The interpretation of the treaty’s language and intent in reference to linkage of U.S. missile defense will have considerable influence on the outcome of the Senate and Duma votes; of which 67 out of 100 U.S. Senators are required to ratify the treaty.

Russia Can Still Opt Out of U.S. Arms Treaty

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov

After the recent signing of the START treaty between Russian president Medvedev and U.S. President Obama, Russia still has the ability to “opt out of the treaty if qualitative and quantitative parameters of the U.S. strategic missile defense begin to significantly affect the efficiency of Russian strategic nuclear forces,” according to Foreign Minister Lavrov.

Russia said Tuesday it reserves the right to withdraw from its new arms-control treaty with the U.S. if it decides the planned U.S. missile-defense shield threatens its security.

Russia will issue a statement outlining the terms for such a withdrawal after President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev sign the nuclear-arms reduction treaty Thursday in Prague, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. The new accord replaces the 1991 START treaty, which expired in December.