Unfinished Symphony/treaty
Mar 28, 2010
Last evening, I attended the National Symphony Orchester at the Kennedy Center at which they played Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony No. 8.
Fitting, because the U.S.-Russian nuclear reductions treaty called New START announced by President Obama and cabinet officials on March 26 is not quite finished either.
The 20-page treaty has been completed as is the associated protocol. The many detailed pages of annexes laying out verification procedures and the complete explanation of the treaty – called article-by-article analysis – are not quite done.
But Presidents Obama and Medvedev will head to Prague on April 8 to sign the agreement – or should I say the Finale: Allegro moderato.
The treaty is important movement to reducing the limits on strategic nuclear weapons by about 30%. It is a step towards the President’s non-proliferation goals and begins a reset in U.S. and Russian relations that deteriorated during the George W. Bush Administration.
The treaty enhances U.S. security by verifiably reducing U.S. and Russian nuclear stockpiles and ensuring a stable and predictable U.S.-Russian nuclear relationship.
BREAKING NEWS: New START Agreement Complete
Mar 26, 2010
The Obama Administration announced today that negotiations for the text of the most significant nuclear reductions treaty between the United States and Russia in decades are complete. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will sign the agreement on April 8 in Prague, Czech Republic.
The announcement was made at a White House press conference earlier today.
Council for a Livable World welcomes the announcement that the “New START” (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is complete. Reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the two countries that currently possess more than 95% of those remaining in the world is a key step forward in advancing the bipartisan nuclear security agenda that President Obama outlined in Prague in April 2009.
The Basics of Treaty Ratification in the U.S. Senate
Mar 25, 2010
• The Senate does not actually ratify treaties—that is the job of the President
o The Senate provides advice (on the substance) and consent (with two-thirds of the Senate required to approve a treaty)
o The Senate considers on the Senate floor resolutions of ratification rather than the treaty itself
• To ratify a treaty, the President signs and deposits the instrument of ratification
• The resolution of ratification of a treaty can be as short as a paragraph or many pages long. The resolution of ratification of the 2002 Treaty of Moscow was longer than the treaty itself.
Franken, Casey and Kaufman Praise New START Treaty
Mar 19, 2010
(Senate - March 18, 2010)
[Congressional Record - Pages S1728 - 30]
START FOLLOW-ON TREATY
Sen. AL. FRANKEN. Madam President, I rise today to speak about arms control and the President's negotiations with Russia over a replacement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START. This new treaty will be an important enhancement to American national security, and I look forward to considering it on the Senate floor once it has been signed.
. . .
SEN. ROBERT CASEY. A new START agreement is in our national security interests, especially in terms of maintaining verification and transparency measures. Once complete, this agreement could help to strengthen the U.S.-Russian relationship and potentially increase the possibility of Russian cooperation on an array of thorny and grave international issues, including North Korea and Iran.
. . .
SEN. RICHARD KAUFMAN. The Senate should take action on a START follow-on treaty as soon as possible in order to keep Americans safe and protect global security. For anyone who has doubts, rest assured that the President and his negotiating team are working hard to finalize a treaty that first and foremost must advance U.S. security interests.
Troubles in U.S.-Russian land
Mar 10, 2010
Good New York Times article today about the difficulties in the “reset” in U.S.-Russian relations.
People may have thought it just like getting back on a bicycle, but it isn’t.
There are too many grievances over the last 20 years – or is it 80 years – between the U.S. and Russia to make buddy-buddy easily again.
Most experts thought that the New START nuclear reductions treaty negotiations would go rapidly and smoothly.
Unfortunately, not so.
The most important deadline was the December 5, 2009 expiration of the START I agreement, and the two countries breezed past that three-month-old deadline.
The U.S. nurses grievances over Russian trade with Iran and Moscow’s harsh response in last year’s Russia vs. Georgia conflict. And their crackdown on dissidents.
The Russians nurse grievances about how we treated the former Soviet Union when it was down (before petro-dollars shot up) and our persistence in placing missile defense in former Soviet dependencies. And our tendency to tell them how to run their country.
Both countries could probably extend their list of grievances as long as their arms (either connected to their bodies or their weapons).
We have heard predictions that the New START agreement is 95% done and will be concluded in a matter of weeks.
But we have heard those predictions before.
The new treaty will be worth the wait and will be positive for American national security and yes, even for improved U.S.-Russian relations, but it has been a wait.
The Times article suggests: “The American officials said the answer might be persistence and patience,” and they are correct.
Persistence. Patience. Say in over and over again.
Feingold Statement on START
Mar 09, 2010
Sen. Feingold (D-WI) issued a statement in support of START today--Highlights below. Full text after the jump.
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The United States and Russia maintain over ninety percent of the world’s approximately 23,000 nuclear weapons. Each of these weapons has the capacity to destroy an entire city; collectively, they can destroy the world. The mere existence of these weapons creates the risk of a nuclear accident, unauthorized use, and theft by a terrorist group. The size and structure of the American and Russian nuclear arsenals reflect an antiquated Cold War mindset that we must move beyond.
It is in the national security interest of the United States to reach an agreement with Russia to reduce the number of nuclear weapons and ensure that strong verification and transparency measures remain in effect. This is the core purpose and focus of the START follow-on agreement.
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Nor is there any reason to continue to develop new nuclear weapon technologies or warheads. Our brightest experts have concluded that we no longer need new nuclear weapons in order to maintain a credible deterrent. A recent report from the independent JASON Defense Advisory Group concluded that, as a result of our nuclear laboratories’ successful life-extension programs, the lifetimes of our nuclear warheads can be extended for decades.
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I want to commend the administration for its efforts to reinvigorate the nonproliferation regime by negotiating a follow-on to the START treaty. We must act now to address the spread of nuclear weapons and materials, which is one of the gravest dangers facing the United States.
Academy Awards Best Picture (Washington, DC version) for 2010
Mar 06, 2010
Avatar- Acting Ways and Means Chairman Sander Levin
The Blind Side – Republicans in Congress
District 9 – Washington, DC Council Member Marion Barry
An Education - Nuclear Posture Review
The Hurt Locker – Democrats in Congress
Inglourious Basterds - Sen. Jim Bunning and friends
Precious - Bi-partisanship
A Serious Man – Sen. Jon Kyl
Up – Federal budget deficit
Up in the Air - New START nuclear reductions treaty
AND THE WINNER IS -- CHECK BACK ON ELECTION DAY NOVEMBER 2010
Watch what Jon Kyl says . . .
Feb 25, 2010
While many people were rightly upset over a recent piece in The Cable by Josh Rogin entitled "No 'New START' in 2010, Hill sources predict," they may have overlooked some very important words by Arizona Senator John Kyl.
Kyl is the bête noire of those promoting a new nuclear reductions treaty and a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
He has sent a series of missives along with many of his colleagues raising issues such as nuclear weapons modernization and missile defense. He has also delivered a number of speeches on the same topics.
As the British would say, he is constantly throwing a spanner into the works (i.e., monkey wrenches).
The Veep plugs the program
Feb 18, 2010
Vice President Biden’s speech speech today at the National Defense University was an important part of the Obama Administration’s campaign to promote its nuclear weapons agenda.
The Vice President was introduced at the event by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Also in the audience was Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright as well as Under Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher and National Nuclear Security Agency Director Thomas D’Agostino.
The clear message: this speech was a Big Deal and the government is united behind the President’s agenda.
This speech followed the Vice President Wall Street Journal OpEd a couple of weeks ago and both are part of the long-awaited Administration offensive.
Today, the Vice President opened by citing President’s Obama’s Prague speech:
John Isaacs Returns to Russia TV
Feb 02, 2010
As Kingston says over at Nukes of Hazard, maybe John should take out a second office over at Russia Today. Yesterday John was returned to the program to discuss some of the issues delaying a new START agreement and President Obama's commitment to maintaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear stockpile. Check out the video here.
Meanwhile, it appears that the U.S. and Russia have resolved their remaining differences and reached a consensus in principle on a new START agreement.
