The
Obama administration is involved right now in missile defense cooperation talks
with Russia, but they are not about setting "limits" on U.S. missile defense
deployments, multiple administration officials told The Cable.
The
Washington Times'Bill Gertz reported today that "The Obama
administration is secretly working with Russia to conclude an agreement that
many officials fear will limit U.S. missile defenses," and said "the
administration last month presented a draft agreement on missile defenses to
the Russians as part of talks between Ellen Tauscher,
undersecretary of state for international security and arms control, and
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Rybakov."
U.S.
officials and lawmakers have been calling for formal U.S.-Russia missile
defense cooperation for decades. When Ronald
Reagan unveiled the original plans for missile defense in the 1980's, he repeatedly talked about sharing missile
defense technology with Russia as a means toward eventually eliminating
offensive strategic ballistic missiles.
Formal
talks on cooperation date back to 1992. The most visible sign was the 1997
agreement to start the Russian American Observation Satellite (RAMOS) program.
An
administration official explained to The
Cable exactly what is going right now. "There is nothing secret about our
intentions here," the official said, "Cooperation, not restrictions, on
missile defense is the subject of conversations between the United States and
Russia leading up to next week's presidential summit."
A
"framework" or "draft agreement" is being considered, but it only covers future
cooperation, not current deployment plans. The draft also includes data
sharing, joint radar systems, and the like, but the U.S. side has been clear
that limits on either the quantity or quality of missile defense deployments
that fall outside the framework are not on the table. The Obama administration has requested $9.9 billion for
missile defense in fiscal year 2011.
The
Gertz story became a focus of the Senate Armed Services committee hearing
Thursday with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Energy Secretary
Steven Chu, and Joint Chiefs
chairman Michael Mullen.
"We are discussing missile defense cooperation with Russia,
which we believe is in the interests of both nations," Gates testified, "but
such talks have nothing to do with imposing any limitations on our programs or
deployment plans."
Clinton addressed the Gertz story
directly.
"Number one, there is no secret
deal. Number two, there is no plan to limit U.S. missile defenses, either in
this treaty or in any other way. And number three, on that score, the story is
dead wrong," she said.
Supporters
of the administration's decision last year to alter missile defense plans in
Eastern Europe, have argued that the changes could pave the way for U.S.-Russia
missile defense cooperation.
"The President's decision also opens the door to
missile defense cooperation with Russia, which would send a powerful signal to
Iran," Senate Armed Services Committee
chairman Carl Levin, D-MI said, adding
that the administration's plan "will not threaten Russia, and it offers an
opportunity for missile defense to serve as a uniting issue, rather than a
dividing one."
The Russians don't see it that way, yet, but are
engaging in the cooperation talks nonetheless.
The
debate over missile defense limits is strongly tied to the ongoing
drive to seek ratification of the new START nuclear reduction treaty, as
today's hearing with Clinton and Gates demonstrated.
Conservative
critics
of the new START treaty have two missile defense-related gripes, however. They
believe that a provision preventing interceptors being mounted on ICBMs is
constraining, although the administration has said that is not part of the plan
anyway.
They
also point to Moscow's unilateral statement reserving their right to withdraw
from the treaty if it concludes that U.S. missile defense deployments upset
strategic stability. But the administration often points out that either side
has the right to withdraw at any time, for any reason.
"It's the equivalent of a press release, and we are not in
any way bound by it," Clinton testified.
The preamble to the START treaty
acknowledges there is a relationship generally between between offensive and
defense forces. "That's simply a statement of fact," Clinton said.
Until when are we going to remain in this Cold War mood? Russia is a broken nation and its population will shrink badly. Our new Russia is China and as an article in this month's Foreign Affair smartly mentions, Russia can be our ally while facing the new Chinese threat. They can be our ally against Iran. I think it's not hard to bring them on our side. Russia is NOT the Soviet Union. We should keep repeating this to ourselves. Let's get updated.
You are correct that Russia is a nation that is receding. They deal with similar Jihadist insurgencies in their resource-rich areas. But I would say that it is THEY who still hold the cold war mentality and just because we abandon it doesn't mean they are not engaged. For example, what if those 11 spies the U.S. discovered are actually sleeper cells for some unforeseen future event? What country would spend that much money and resources to supposedly "engage' their agents in "foreign policy?" you could do that from home on the internet!
yesterday's op-ed by Mitt Romney about this unratified START treaty(see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/05/AR2010070502657.html?sub=AR) with Russia is truly frightening if true. I trust Hillary but I don't trust Barack. Perhaps it's time I write my Representatives and ask them to reconsider final approval. I'm not so sure getting rid of missile defense at t his point in history is such a good idea. And I'm not sure about how the pressure on Israel to join the missile defense treaty threatens its power to deter attacks by neighbors.
think its high-time the Cold War Heroes retire (Mr. McCain please leave), and the Anti-Islamists and COINistas take center stage.
Gabala can be a central component of a missile shield aimed at the Middle East.
I also assume that if we draw Russia into the missile defense shield, we are more likely to get Russia to replica BREITLING seriously consider taking a different approach to Iran.
Russia is a broken nation and its population will shrink badly. Sazky Our new Russia is China and as an article in this month's Foreign Affair smartly mentions, Russia can be our ally while facing the new Chinese threat. They can be our ally against Iran. I think it's not hard to bring them on our side. Russia is NOT the Soviet Union.
Josh Rogin reports on national security and foreign policy from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, the White House to Embassy Row, for The Cable.
Read More
(6)
HIDE COMMENTS LOGIN OR REGISTER REPORT ABUSE