Russian contradicts Obama: START would limit U.S. missile defense

GeoStrategy Direct.com ^ | 4/10/2010 | GeoStrategy Direct.com

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The Obama administration is insisting that the new Strategic Arms Reduction Talks treaty (START) will not limit U.S. missile defenses. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow that Russia believes the treaty will limit U.S. missile defenses to current levels and that any increase would result in Moscow pulling out.

The treaty has three levels: Text and protocols on basic rights and obligations and technical annexes. None of the details have been made public.

The treaty limits each side to 1,550 warheads on deployed ICBMs. Deployed SLBMs count toward this limit and each deployed heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armaments counts as one warhead toward this limit.

Also, the treaty will impose a combined limit of 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.

It will include on-site inspections and exhibitions, data exchanges and notifications related to strategic offensive arms and facilities and provisions to facilitate the use of spy satellites and aircraft for treaty monitoring. It will also require exchanging telemetry data used in missile tests.

According to the White House, START “does not contain any constraints on testing, development or deployment of current or planned U.S. missile defense programs or current or planned United States long-range conventional strike capabilities."

[Nachum]

The list, ping

[Scotsman will be Free]

I never believe anything an LRB(lying russian bastard)says, but I’m going to make an exception in this case.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

It seems that Liz Cheney mentioned this on Fox News Sunday.