GOP attempts to block NewSTART treaty with missile protection ploy

Missile defense is a bone of contention among countries that compete against each other for a global advantage. But Senate Republicans have decided to use missile security to undermine the national security of their own nation as long as it keeps the administration from achieving a key objective. 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 associated with relations between the United States and Russia

Many Republicans are using the NewSTART treaty which relies on missile defense to make for fun politics even though it was supported until this week. The Obama administration trying to improve national security and U.S./Russia relationships has relied on NewSTART treaty for this. Last summer's Russian spy scandal and the extradition of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout have not affected the U.S./Russia relations at all since the NewSTART treaty is really important. But this week, veteran Arizona Republican senator Jon Kyl and 10 freshly elected GOP senators are trying to get the vote delayed until next year, when Democrats lose six u.s. senate seats.

GOP wants to START over

The NewSTART treaty reduces United States and Russian arsenals of strategic nuclear missiles and resumes on-the-ground inspections that ended when the old START treaty expired in 2009. Starting over is exactly what Kyl and others following him suggested the Senate needs to do. The arsenal that remains after reductions needs to be modernized with more money. The point had already been brought up and addressed though. $4.1 billion was added for that. Other conservatives say that the language of the treaty is really broadly defined that it will restrict United States missile defense possibilities.

Exactly what the NewSTART is actually concerning

The number of missile defense systems the U.S. can build is not listed in the NewSTART treaty at all. There is also no cutting requirement. United States existing systems can stay. The NewSTART treaty reduces restrictions on missile security according to Military Defense Agency chief General Patrick O'Reilly who said this in front of the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee in April. The United States can now test missiles that would be there to take out other missiles; which was limited in 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