Republicans make an effort to scuttle NewSTART treaty above missile protection

Missile protection is often the currency of conflict and compromise these days among international adversaries. However, missile security is getting used as a political football by senators in the GOP to frustrate the Obama administration at the expense of their own country’s best interests. In this case it is the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty signed by Obama and Russian President Dimitri Medvedev in April.

NewSTART relating to relations among the United States of America and Russia

Missile defense as it relates to the NewSTART treaty, which had bipartisan support until this week, is being used by certain Republicans as an opportunity for political posturing. The Obama administration trying to improve national security and U.S./Russia relations has relied on NewSTART treaty for this. The ratification of the NewSTART treaty by the U.S. Senate is really essential that such incidents as last summer’s Russian spy scandal and this week’s extradition of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to the United States of America have had no ill effects on U.S./Russia relations. 10 GOP senators and Arizona Republican senator Job Kyl are working to stop the vote until the Democrats lose six u.s. senate seats next year.

GOP really wants to START over

The NewSTART treaty reduces United States of America and Russian arsenals of strategic nuclear missiles and resumes on-the-ground inspections that ended when the old START treaty expired in 2009. Starting over is exactly what Kyl and others following him suggested the Senate needs to do. The arsenal that remains after reductions needs to be modernized with more money. Ironically, that point was brought up earlier, and in response the administration added $4.1 billion for such a purpose. Other conservatives say that the language of the treaty is really broadly defined that it will restrict United States missile security opportunities.

The NewSTART

The NewSTART treaty doesn't talk concerning the number of missiles the U.S. can build. No limit was put in there. Existing systems don't have to be cut by the U.S. either. Military Security Agency chief General Patrick O’Reilly, in a statement before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in April, said the NewSTART treaty actually reduces restraints on missile defense. It removes limits imposed by the old START treaty on United States of America testing of missiles intended to take out incoming missiles.

Articles cited

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/18/AR2010111800507_2.html

Media Matters

mediamatters.org/research/201011180003

The Hill

thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/129739-new-start-a-missile-defense-friendly-treaty