START may still stop U.S. missile defense

Richmond Times Dispatch ^ | 1/16/11 | Joel McKean

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Historically, the Russian Duma acts quickly to ratify international treaties that the country's leaders have signed. In the case of international treaties with the U.S., the process is short and takes place only after U.S. ratification.

In an interview with a Soviet ambassador, I was once told that although the process entails several steps, it is pro forma once the treaty is signed by both parties and ratified by the U.S. Congress.

The SALT II Treaty, signed by Presidents Carter and Brezhnev in 1979, was never ratified by either party. On Jan. 3, 1980, President Carter requested the Senate majority leader to delay consideration of the treaty on the Senate floor in view of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In May 1982, President Reagan stated he would do nothing to undercut the SALT agreements as long as the Soviet Union showed equal restraint. The Soviet Union again agreed to abide by the unratified Treaty.

Subsequently, in 1984 and 1985, President Reagan declared that the Soviet Union had violated its political commitment to observe the SALT II Treaty. On May 26, 1986, President Reagan stated that "the United States must base decisions regarding its strategic force structure on the nature and magnitude of the threat posed by Soviet strategic forces and not on standards contained in the SALT structure."

[goldstategop]

The RINOs who voted to ratify it can explain in the primary why they voted to strip the US of its missile defense for Russia’s benefit.

[pissant]

That’s Obama’s plan, anyway

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Although other aspects of the START Treaty, such as verification, deserve attention, it is clear from the Russian comments on the issue of linkage between strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms that this issue is paramount, particularly if, as reported, Kosachev was, "apparently sneering that U.S. negotiators had been tricked."

Thank you Scott Brown. I want my $100 bucks back.