New START Proponents Drag Out Same Tired Argument
Baker Spring /
Give the proponents of New START credit for “staying on message” regarding the reasons why they think the Senate should consent to the ratification of this strategic nuclear arms control treaty with Russia. These are the same tired arguments the Obama Administration has been making for months, and are now made again in The Washington Times op-ed by former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and former Senator Jake Garn. So let’s revisit the arguments.
First, they argue that the strategic nuclear verification regime incorporated into the predecessor treaty, called START, expired with START last December and, as a result of this expiration, there is now the need for the Senate to rush to approve New START in order to replace the expired regime. This might be a compelling argument except for the fact the Obama Administration did not believe it when it drew up its plans for strategic nuclear arms control with Russia. (more…)