Senators Should Listen Up to John Bolton’s START Smarts
Baker Spring /
Ambassador John Bolton’s encyclopedic knowledge of the history of arms control deserves the respect of all senators, who in all likelihood will be asked to consider granting consent to the ratification of the NEW START arms control agreement with Russia later this year. By paying close attention to the details of this long and complex arms control treaty with Russia for reducing strategic nuclear launchers, delivery systems and warheads, Bolton is raising very important and disturbing questions about NEW START and its negative implications for U.S. national security in a forthcoming article for National Review.
He points out that New START’s underlying assumption that there needs to be symmetry between the U.S. and Russia regarding the number of strategic nuclear warheads on both sides is dangerous because the U.S. has international security obligations and commitments that far exceed Russia’s. He also understands that Russia may be on the cusp of a rebound in the quality of its strategic nuclear force, while the U.S. is on a path of steady decline. Finally, Bolton points out that the verification provisions of the treaty, being scaled back from what was contained in the expired arms control treaty New START is to replace, may not be adequate.