What the Post Gets Wrong on New START

Baker Spring / July 26, 2010

The Washington Post has arrived at the conclusion, in a July 26 editorial, that the New START arms control agreement with Russia should be ratified this year. Arriving at this conclusion, however, has resulted from the Post misunderstanding important details about the treaty and failing to recognize that the Obama Administration’s general approach to arms control is seriously flawed.

Starting with the specifics, the Post asserts that New START will reduce the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads from the levels required under the current Moscow Treaty with Russia by 30 percent. This is wrong, because while the Moscow Treaty counted real warheads, New START uses an “accountable” warhead standard that would permit both sides to exceed the Moscow Treaty limits in terms of real warheads if both sides choose to structure their forces under the treaty in certain ways. (more…)