GOP uses missile protection in technique to defeat NewSTART treaty

Missile security is often an element of strategy among geopolitical rivals. However conflicts over missile protection have become internalized within the United States of America Senate. The issue has been co-opted by GOP senators to stand in the way of President Obama’s national security goals. The GOP’s target is the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty President Obama and Russian President Dimitri Medvedev signed last spring that awaits Senate ratification.

NewSTART relating to relations among the U.S. and Russia

Missile protection 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 relationships has relied on NewSTART treaty for this. The ratification of the NewSTART treaty by the Senate is so important 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 senate seats next year.

GOP wants to START over

Starting back up on-the-ground inspections and stopping strategic nuclear missiles is really significant for the NewSTART treaty. The old START treaty expired in 2009 meaning this is even more important. Kyl and his new acolytes are saying that the Senate needs to start over because more money is needed for modernizing the arsenal that remains after the reductions. Ironically, that point was brought up earlier, and in response the administration added $4.1 billion for such a purpose. In the treaty, specific language is used for the treaty. They say that United States missile protection options could be restricted due to this.

Exactly what NewSTART really states

The number of missile protection systems the United States can build is not listed within the NewSTART treaty at all. It also doesn’t require the United States of America to cut any already existing systems. Military Defense Agency chief General Patrick O’Reilly, in a statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee in April, said the NewSTART treaty actually reduces restraints on missile protection. The United States of America can now test missiles that would be there to take out other missiles; which was limited within the old START treaty.

Citations

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