For many Americans, Sept. 11, marks a turning point: It is the day when they were forced to reconsider the worldwide threat of terrorism. It is also the day when international defense and security issues — once the domain of a handful of experts — suddenly became everyone’s concern.
Here in Washington, during the months leading up to that fateful day, the primary topic of conversation among arms control professionals was ballistic missile defense (BMD). Now, of course, the BMD issue — like many arms control matters — has become a very low priority.
But while the world is focusing on the life-altering tragedy of Sept. 11, the United States government is taking quiet, but significant steps to reduce America’s arsenal of nuclear arms. The move could pave the way for one of the biggest cuts in atomic weaponry in over a decade — cuts that will be made with or without Russia’s cooperation.
US President George W. Bush’s desire to make these reductions was announced in early September by Douglas Feith, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense for policy. “We have no interest in retaining nuclear weapons that we don’t need,” Feith said. Once the results of the Nuclear Posture Review are clear, the United States will “proceed to do this and we intend to do it quickly.”
Feith added that the United States would not make reductions in its nuclear arsenal contingent on arms control measures with Russia. “Once we’ve identified that a reduction is justified, we’re not looking to tie up the reduction process in protracted negotiations,” he said. “When we identify nuclear weapons that we don’t need, we will eliminate them. And we hope that the Russians will take a similar attitude.”
Feith also addressed the matter of US relations with China and newspaper reports that the United States is considering withholding its objections to China’s nuclear modernization program in return for Chinese approval of the US missile defense program. “That is not correct,” he said. “There’s nothing to it.”
Feith said the United States remains concerned about China’s development of long- and short-range nuclear capabilities, and believed these actions by Beijing are destabilizing in Asia.
The United States also has concerns about Chinese proliferation of ballistic missile technology. “The US government has...imposed sanctions on China for the provision of missile technology to Pakistan,” Feith said.
On the subject of Russia, Feith said the United States is working to establish a new relationship.
The United States wants to move away from the concept of mutually assured destruction to a more normal basis.
Feith said the United States would adhere to all treaty obligations. “We have said that we are going to move beyond the (Anti-Ballistic Missile — ABM) Treaty, and if we do it, we will do it by giving the notice provided for in the terms of the treaty,” he said.
Feith was referring to a clause in the ABM Treaty that requires the United States to give six-months’ notice before pulling out.
“If we can achieve the kind of relationship with Russia that we aim to achieve, then there will be much greater international stability, much greater security that flows from a friendly relationship between the United States and Russia without reference to arms control treaties than there would be if the United States and Russia had a hostile relationship with arms control treaties,” Feith said.
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