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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2533076/posts
Statement ... on the Visit of President Medvedev of the Russian Federation to the White House
Whitehouse.gov ^ | June 11, 2010 | n/a
Posted on June 12, 2010 1:38:47 AM PDT by Cindy
NOTE The following text is a quote:
www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-press-secretary-visit-president-medvedev-russian-federation-white-house
Home • Briefing Room • Statements & Releases
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release June 11, 2010
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit of President Medvedev of the Russian Federation to the White House
President Obama is pleased to welcome President Dmitriy Medvedev of the Russian Federation to the United States on June 22-24.
Over the last eighteen months, the United States and Russia have made significant strides in resetting relations between our two countries in ways that advance our mutual interests. Since first meeting in London in April 2009, President Obama and President Medvedev have collaborated closely to enhance the security and well-being of the American and Russian people, including the expansion of the Northern Distribution Network, which supplies our troops in Afghanistan; the signing of the New START Treaty, which reduces our nuclear arsenals, enhances transparency about our strategic forces, and demonstrates U.S. and Russian leadership in support of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; new sanctions against North Korea, designed to compel North Korea to adhere to its international obligations; the full and active pursuit of the dual track strategy that seeks Iran’s compliance with its international obligations regarding its nuclear program, including most recently UN Security Council Resolution 1929; and the creation of a Bilateral President Commission, which has expanded dramatically the interactions among Americans and Russians on a whole range of issues, including emergency disaster response, space, counternarcotics, counterterrorism, energy efficiency, and trade and investment, among others.
President Obama looks forward to using this next meeting with President Medvedev to explore possible avenues of greater cooperation regarding trade, investment and innovation. The two Presidents will hold a bilateral meeting at the White House on June 24, where they will discuss these issues, as well as other issues of mutual concern leading into the G-8 and G-20 meetings. In conjunction with the visit, Russian and American business leaders , as well as American and Russian civil society leaders, will be holding their own meetings in Washington. As President Medvedev seeks to promote innovation and modernization in Russia, President Obama is pleased that the Russian President will begin his trip to the United States by visiting the Silicon Valley, and have the opportunity to review the unique set of factors that has fostered this important center of technological advancement and entrepreneurship.
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KEYWORDS: california; entrepreneurship; g20; g8; innovation; investment; iran; medvedev; nkorea; northkorea; nuclear; obama; russia; siliconvalley; start; technological; technology; trade; Click to Add Keyword
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1 posted on June 12, 2010 1:38:47 AM PDT by Cindy
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NOTE The following text is a quote:
www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-president-russia-day
Home • Briefing Room • Statements & Releases
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release June 11, 2010
Statement by the President on Russia Day
On behalf of the American people, I extend my best wishes to all those who observe Russia Day. On June 12, 1992, the first Congress of the Russian Federation declared a new sovereign nation. But the relationship between our peoples goes back much further. This year, we celebrated the 65th Anniversary of the end of World War II, and it was the joint Allied forces that defeated fascism. Today, our two nations continue in our strong partnership, mutual respect and friendship, and I am proud of the new START Treaty and our joint efforts to reduce our nuclear arsenals. Beyond that, our two nations continue to expand our commercial and economic ties. Here in America, many Americans can trace their origins to Russia, and all of them are an important part of our national identity.
2 posted on June 12, 2010 1:39:55 AM PDT by Cindy
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“Gates to Brief Senate on New START Treaty”
DEFENSE.gov (AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE) ^ | May 6, 2010 | By Elaine Wilson
Posted on May 6, 2010 11:38:45 PM PDT by Cindy
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2488098/posts
“Statement by President Barack Obama on the Release of Nuclear Posture Review”
Whitehouse.gov ^ | April 6, 2010 | n/a
Posted on April 7, 2010 12:28:32 AM PDT by Cindy
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2220254/posts
“Obama, Medvedev Commit to Reduce Nuclear Arms, Reset Relationship”
AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE ^ | April 1, 2009 | Fred W. Baker III
Posted on April 1, 2009 4:18:57 PM PDT by Cindy
3 posted on June 12, 2010 1:40:36 AM PDT by Cindy
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ON THE INTERNET:
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http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
4 posted on June 12, 2010 1:43:31 AM PDT by Cindy
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703302604575294683713294168.html?mod=wsj_india_main
“Germany Probes Russian Shipments to Iran”
By DAVID CRAWFORD
SNIPPET: “FRANKFURT—German prosecutors are investigating whether Russia’s main nuclear exporter broke European rules by routing Iran-bound cargo through Europe—an incident that diplomats say turned into a major battleground as world powers hashed out international sanctions against Iran.
The shipments wouldn’t break sanctions agreed on at the United Nations, including new rules approved Wednesday.”
5 posted on June 12, 2010 1:48:45 AM PDT by Cindy
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2532061/posts
RUSSIA SAYS IN TALKS WITH IRAN ON MORE NUCLEAR PLANTS
(REUTERS) via YNET NEWS.com ^ | Published: 06.10.10, 22:20 / Israel News | n/a
Posted on June 10, 2010 2:41:31 PM PDT by Cindy
SNIPPET: “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that Moscow was in talks on building further nuclear power plants in Iran — a step that, if followed through, would rile the West — in addition to the Bushehr site, due to open in August after years of delay.
Lavrov’s statement came just hours after Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the new UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program did not oblige Moscow to scrap a controversial deal to deliver surface-to-air missiles to Tehran.”
(Excerpt) Read more at ynetnews.com ...
6 posted on June 12, 2010 1:49:44 AM PDT by Cindy
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Russian-Iranian S-300 missile deal not against UN resolution — U.S.
RIA Novosti ^ | 6/11/2010 | RIA Novosti
Posted on June 11, 2010 12:44:35 AM PDT by sonofstrangelove
The U.S. State Department said on Friday that the delivery of Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran is not against the recently imposed UN sanctions.
The Resolution 1929, adopted on Wednesday, imposes the fourth round of sanctions against Iran, including tougher financial controls and an expanded arms embargo. It also imposes an asset ban and a travel freeze on more than three dozen companies and individuals.
“The [Resolution] 1929 prohibits the sale and transfer of items on the U.S. Register of Conventional Arms, which does not include the S-300. That said, this is a sale that Russia concluded with Iran a number of years ago and Russia has exercised responsibility and restraint and has not, at this point, delivered those missiles to Iran,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told a daily press briefing.
He said that the Resolution 1929 is aimed at strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime and provides a framework for addressing nuclear non-proliferation concerns of the global community.
“There’s significant limitations on conventional weapons, missile technology, nuclear technology. It [the resolution] focuses on banking, financial sector and so forth,” Crowley said.
“So we are looking for a strong, united international response to make it clear to Iran that it will pay a price for its current course and that it should — based on this pressure, that it will begin to feel — very quickly change course,” he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at rianovosti.com ...
7 posted on June 12, 2010 1:54:20 AM PDT by Cindy
NOTE The following text is a quote:
http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=59659
Arms Reduction Treaty Would Make U.S. Safer, Officials Say
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 16, 2010 – The leaders of U.S. Strategic Command and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency told a Senate committee today that they were closely involved in developing the new Strategic Arms Control and National Security Treaty, and that they believe it will make the United States and its allies safer.
“I was fully consulted in the negotiation process, and I fully support [the treaty],” Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, Stratcom commander, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a hearing on the new START treaty.
Three ways the treaty will make the United States safer if it’s ratified, Chilton said, is by limiting the number of Russian warheads and vehicles that can target the United States, allowing sufficient flexibility for the United States to retain and use its arsenal, and re-establishing verification and transparency of weapons that ended when the previous treaty expired in April 2009.
“What we want is transparency and insight to know that either side is complying with the treaty,” Chilton said. “I would worry about any ability for Russia to make strategically significant changes [to its arsenal] that we don’t detect and couldn’t respond to.”
President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the treaty in Prague on April 8. Since then, Defense Department leaders have spoken out in support of it on Capitol Hill where some lawmakers have voiced concern that it will weaken U.S. defenses or allow Russia an arms advantage.
Chilton, along with James N. Miller Jr., principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, and Army Lt. Gen. Patrick J. O’Reilly, director of the Missile Defense Agency, tried to allay those concerns in today’s testimony.
“This treaty does not constrain any current [U.S.] missile defense plans,” Chilton said. “America’s nuclear arsenal remains a vital pillar of U.S. national security.”
Asked whether the treaty undermines security by not allowing the United States to convert offensive missile launchers to defensive launchers, O’Reilly said he “wouldn’t do that anyway,” because it is not prudent or operationally effective.
“I do not see any limitation on my ability to develop missile defenses,” O’Reilly said. “The options that are prohibited are not ones I would choose or any other director would choose, because it would make us less effective. I see no limitations to us for the plans we are pursuing.”
The treaty’s limits of 1,550 warheads will allow the United States to sustain effective nuclear deterrence, including a second strike capability. Its limit of 700 deployed intercontinental and submarine-launch ballistic missiles and heavy bombers will allow the United States to retain a robust triad.
Also, by providing the freedom to mix strategic forces, the treaty allows for the rebalancing of weapons over time.
“The United States can and will continue to expand and improve missile defenses,” Miller said. The department is studying the appropriate mix of long-range strike capabilities and will include its conclusions in the fiscal 2012 budget request, he said. Any deployment of ballistic missiles should be limited to niche capabilities, he added.
“The new START treaty does not in any way constrain the U.S. from deploying the most effective nuclear defenses possible,” Miller said. “It allows for the defense of the nation, as well as our forces and allies abroad.”
Chilton said the U.S. nuclear arsenal today “is safe, secure and effective,” but also is in need of maintenance. The Defense Department plans to invest $100 billion over the next decade to sustain and modernize its strategic nuclear delivery systems, while the Energy Department plans to invest $80 billion to sustain and modernize the nuclear stockpile and weapons complex, he said.
“These investments are not only important, they are essential in my view,” Chilton said.
Biographies:
James N. Miller Jr.
Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton
Army Lt. Gen. Patrick J. O’Reilly
Related Sites:
U.S. Strategic Command
U.S. Missile Defense Agency
NOTE The following text is a quote:
http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=59787
Officials: Treaty Would Give Best Look at Russian Weapons
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2010 – Ratification of the new Strategic Arms Control and National Security Treaty would give the United States the most-detailed look possible into Russia’s strategic nuclear forces, Pentagon officials told a Senate panel yesterday.
James N. Miller, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, and Kenneth A. Myers III, director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and U.S. Strategic Command’s Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction, were the latest senior Defense Department officials to testify before Congress in favor of the treaty’s ratification. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the treaty on April 8.
Miller and Myers told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the treaty’s provisions for on-site inspections are an improvement on the previous START treaty. And, it’s critical to resume such inspections, the two officials said, since the previous treaty expired in April 2009.
Miller said on-site inspections “provide the cornerstone of the treaty’s verification regime,” allowing U.S. inspectors into some of Russia’s most-sensitive facilities.
“This, in turn, will establish a strong disincentive to Russian cheating,” he said. “More broadly, these inspections and exhibitions will give us a detailed picture of Russia’s strategic delivery systems and associated infrastructure.”
The treaty allows the United States and Russia to conduct as many as 18 short-notice, on-site inspections each year, with as many as 10 “Type 1” inspections, which focus on strategic systems, such as ICBMs, submarines and bombers, and up to eight “Type 2” inspections, which cover storage sites, test ranges and other facilities, Miller said.
On-site inspections work in synergy with other elements of the treaty, including data exchanges on the technical characteristics, locations, and distribution of weapons, Miller said. Under the treaty, any changes in the status of strategic systems must be reported through timely notifications and biannual reports, he said.
On-site inspections will confirm that information, including the conversion or elimination of systems, Miller said.
“Inspections will not be ‘shots in the dark,’” he said. “We can choose to inspect those facilities of greatest interest to us.”
If the United States has concerns or sees ambiguities in Russia’s reported data, U.S. officials will be able to raise them through a bilateral commission, or pursue the matter at higher levels, Miller said.
Myers, a former staff member of the committee, said the new treaty improves on the previous one by reducing the types of on-site inspections from nine to two, and by not providing for a baseline inspection of every facility. In negotiating the new treaty, both sides agreed that it would not be necessary to conduct baseline inspections at facilities that had been subject to inspection under the previous treaty, he said.
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency will staff, train, equip, and lead U.S. inspection teams in Russia and escort Russian inspectors at U.S. facilities, Myers said. The agency, based at Fort Belvoir, Va., will maintain detachments at Yokota Air Base, Japan, and Travis Air Force Base, Calif., as well as at its division in Darmstadt, Germany, he said.
Under the treaty, 35 facilities in Russia and 17 in the United States would be subject to inspections, Myers said. Russian inspectors would be permitted entry into the United States via Washington and San Francisco, escorted by DTRA officials, he said. Each side would have to give 32 hours notice during normal working hours before a short-notice inspection.
While the new treaty allows for fewer inspections than the previous one, Myers said, inspections of weapons systems will be more difficult. DTRA already is training inspection and escort personnel on the provisions of the new treaty, and their initial certifications are under way, he said.
“We will be prepared to carry out all of its inspection and escort provisions with the utmost accuracy and efficiency,” Myers told the committee.
If ratified, the new treaty would be carried out in conjunction with the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, a 20-year-old effort to advance nuclear non-proliferation around the world, Miller said. As of June 21, the program has supported the elimination of 783 intercontinental ballistic missiles and 672 ICBM launchers; 651 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and 476 SLBM launchers; 155 heavy bombers; 906 air-to-surface missiles; and deactivation of 7,545 nuclear warheads.
“The CTR program has made a tremendous contribution to U.S. national security and will continue to do so under the new START treaty,” Miller said. Biological threat reduction now comprises 40 percent of the program’s budget, he added.
The new treaty and the CTR program together are critical to national security, Miller said.
“This level of detailed information on Russian strategic forces could simply not be accumulated in the absence of a treaty verification regime,” he said. “The new START, if ratified, will promote transparency and help avoid worst-case assumptions and planning.”
Biographies:
James N. Miller
Kenneth A. Myers III