IMPACTS: NMD WILL LEAD TO A NEW ARMS RACE WITH RUSSIA

NMD WILL ENCOURAGE RUSSIA TO KEEP AND BUILD UP ITS NUCLEAR FORCES

President Bush has also pledged to try to develop a robust, expensive, and as yet unproven national missile defense (NMD) system. U.S. actions leading toward NMD deployment would presNMD WILL ENCOURAGE RUSSIA TO KEEP AND BUILD UP ITS NUCLEAR FORCESDaryl Kimball, Council for a Livable World, April 27, 2001, Standing Down U.S. and Russian Nuclear Weapons: The Time for Meaningful Action is Now  HYPERLINK http://www.clw.org/coalition/briefv5n8.htm
http://www.clw.org/coalition/briefv5n8.htm //VT2002acslnPresident Bush has also pledged to try to develop a robust, expensive, and as yet unproven national missile defense (NMD) system. U.S. actions leading toward NMD deployment would presAN NUCLEAR BUILD-UP OF LAND BASED NUCLEAR MISSILES

Barry Renfrew, The Ottawa Citizen, October 1AN NUCLEAR BUILD-UP OF LAND BASED NUCLEAR MISSILESBarry Renfrew, The Ottawa Citizen, October 1posal threatens nuclear agreements // ln-10-29-99-acs

Moscow says the United States is exaggerating the threat from minor nuclear states. Instead, Russian officials fear, Washington wants to develop an ABM defence that could defeat a major missile attack. This would make Moscow's nuclear arsenal useless and leave Russia vulnerable because it does not have the resources to build a defence system of its own.

Russian may be forced to abandon arm control pacts to ensure their nuclear forces remain effective, officials say. One option is rebuilding land-based ballistic missiles, which have been banned by arms control deals.

''The U.S. approach might destabilize the international situation and call into question all existing arms treaties between the two countries,'' said Pavel Felgenhauer, a prominent military analyst.

RUSSIA WILL BUILD NEW NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO COUNTER THE THREAT OF USA MISSILE DEFENSES

Barry Renfrew, The Ottawa Citizen, October 19, 1999, SECTION: News; A8 HEADLINE: U.S. could trigger new arms race, Russia warns: Missile proposal threatens nuclear agreements // ln-10-29-99-acs

Russia is warning that the world could be pushed into a new nuclear arms race because the United States wants to change a key agreement that has helped control nuclear weapons for the past 25 years.

The U.S. proposal has alarmed and outraged Russian political and military leaders, who claim that Washington wants to acquire nuclear invincibility at a time when Russia's nuclear forces are in shambles. Moscow may have to build new atomic weapons to counter what it sees as a major threat, they say.

IT IS EASIER FOR RUSSIA TO DEPLOY MORE NUCLEAR WEAPONS THAN IT IS FOR US TO BUILD A NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE

David Hoffman in Moscow The Guardian (London), October 27, 1999, SECTION: Guardian Foreign Pages; Pg. 17 HEADLINE: Russians threaten new nuclear arms race // ln-acs-11-11-99

Mr Mikhailov was not specific, but he said it was easier for Russia to deploy more warheads than for the US to build an effective defence against them.

'Russia's expenses would be several times . . . lower than the cost of implementing plans for setting up a national missile defence system,' he said.

RUSSIA CAN AFFORD TO ENTER A NEW NUCLEAR ARMS RACE WITH THE USA

MICHAEL R. GORDON, The New York Times, October 21, 1999, SECTION: Section A; Page 3; Column 1; HEADLINE: Russians Firmly Reject U.S. Plan to Reopen ABM Treaty // ln-10-29-99-acs

The Russian military also said it had developed plans to augment its nuclear force if Washington withdrew from the treaty. The plans include deploying new multiple-warhead missiles and mobile land-based missiles.

"Russia can take about 20 steps without a substantial increase in costs," the commander of Russia's strategic forces, Col. Gen. Vladimir Yakovlev, said. "The history of weaponry suggests that the shield is always weaker than the sword."

DEPLOYMENT WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA WILL MEAN A RETURN TO USA-RUSSIAN NUCLEAR CONFRONTATION AND A GLOBAL SPREAD OF MULTIPLE ICBMS AS A RESPONSE

Richard Durbin St. Louis Post-Dispatch March 23, 1999, SECTION: EDITORIAL, Pg. B7, HEADLINE: STAR WARS PLAN WOULD UNDERMINE U.S. SECURITY // lnu-acs

If a missile defense system is deployed without regard to its effect on strategic stability with Russia, our own security will be imperiled. The United States and Russia still have thousands of nuclear warheads poised to launch at each other with just a few minutes between targeting and launch. If arms control breaks down because of our deployment of a missile defense system, we would be encouraging nuclear countries to use multi-warhead ICBMs to defeat it.

USA DECISION FOR MISSILE DEFENSE DEPLOYMENT NOW WILL DESTROY ALL PREVIOUS ARMS CONTROL AGREEMENTS WITH RUSSIA

Barry Renfrew, The Ottawa Citizen, October 19, 1999, SECTION: News; A8 HEADLINE: U.S. could trigger new arms race, Russia warns: Missile proposal threatens nuclear agreements // ln-10-29-99-acs

If Washington persists with its proposal, Russian officials say, it could endanger the whole framework of nuclear agreements on limiting or scrapping nuclear weapons that took decades to construct.

''All agreements that have been signed or are being prepared, will come under threat -- namely, START I, START II and consultations on START III,'' said Col.-Gen. Vladimir Yakovlev, commander of Russia's strategic rocket forces.

DEPLOYMENT OF A NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE COULD REDUCE U.S. SECURITY BY JEOPARDIZING FURTHER CUTS IN U.S. AND RUSSIAN NUCLEAR ARSENALS.

Under the START treaties and the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Russians will have to retire over 5,000 additional nuclear warheads, including all 210 of their heavy SS-18 ICBM's with 2,100 nuclear warheads, and over 40,000 metric tons of chemical weapons. The Russians have made it clear that they are likely to abandon cuts in either START II or III if the U.S. deploys a National Missile Defense.