ANSWERS: WE CAN HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH — KEEP THE ABM TREATY AND GET THE ADVANTAGES OF NMD

RUSSIA WILL RENEGOTIATE THE ABM TREATY AND THE USA CAN MOVE TO DEPLOY AFTER THAT

ELIZABETH BECKER The New York Times, November 6, 1999, SECTION: Section A; Page 8; HEADLINE: U.S. Seeks Missile System Despite Treaty Risk // ln-acs-11-11-99

Mr. Slocombe [of the Defense Dept.] said the administration believed that Moscow would eventually agree to modify the treaty, clearing the way for the United States to deploy the missiles.

ABM TREATY RENEGOTIATION WITH THE RUSSIANS IS POSSIBLE

Bruce Anderson January 15, 2001, The Independent (London) SECTION: COMMENT; Pg. 3 HEADLINE: WHY NOT SHELTER BENEATH AMERICA'S DEFENCE UMBRELLA? //VT2002acsln

There is still the obstacle of the 1972 ABM (anti-ballistic missile) treaty, which prohibits the deployment of missile defence systems. As it was concluded between the US and the Soviet Union, and cannot apply to relations between the US and the USSR's successor states, that treaty no longer has any legal force. But it still has political force; NMD would require careful diplomacy and hard bargaining. But it should not be impossible to secure Russian agreement to a limited deployment aimed at countering a threat from Iran, Iraq and North Korea.

ABM TREATY CAN BE RENEGOTIATED AND REMAIN A STRATEGIC CORNERSTONE OF STABILITY

The Economist, January 29, 2000 ,  HEADLINE: Countdown //ACS-LN-2/4/2000

Senior administration officials insist that the limited defences being planned will neither undermine Russia's nuclear deterrent nor kill the ABM treaty, assuming that Russia will agree to some changes. Signed in 1972, this treaty is said to be the "cornerstone" of strategic stability, since by strictly limiting the scope of missile defences (though not banning them outright) it reassured both America and Russia during the cold war that, if either were to launch a missile attack, the other could respond with equal devastation.