NEGATIVE/CTBT

CTBT DEFEAT DOES NOT HURT ANTI-PROLIFERATION EFFORTS

CTBT DEFEAT DID NOT DAMAGE OTHER ANTI-PROLIFERATION EFFORTS LIKE SANCTIONS

JANE PERLEZ, The New York Times, October 15, 1999, SECTION: Section A; Page 12; HEADLINE: DEFEAT OF A TREATY: THE ARMS EXPERTS; A Nuclear Safety Valve Is Shut Off, but U.S. Maintains Other Safeguards // ln-10-29-99-acs

The test ban treaty defeated in the Senate yesterday was a critical foreign policy objective of the Clinton Administration, but it was far from the only component of the Government's strategy to control the proliferation of nuclear arms -- which embraces a menu of measures ranging from broad treaties to tailor-made solutions like sanctions aimed at rogue countries.

CTBT DEFEAT WILL NOT INFLUENCE USA ABILITY TO STOP NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION IN TOPIC NATIONS -- MANY OTHER MEANS REMAIN

Thus, according to arms control experts, the Senate action was unlikely to have immediate effects on American efforts, for example, to curb nuclear development in such nations as North Korea, Iraq and Iran. "There is no single solution to the problem of proliferation, only multiple, complementary solutions, and the Senate has just taken away one of the solutions," said Michael Krepon, president of the Henry L. Stimson Center, a research institute that examines arms control issues.

CTBT DEFEAT HAS NOT INDICATED A FUNDAMENTAL USA SHIFT ON NON-PROLIFERATION POLICY

Financial Times (London), October 15, 1999, SECTION: COMMENT & ANALYSIS; Pg. 23, HEADLINE: American isolationism put to the test: Rejection of the nuclear test ban treaty demonstrates how world issues are pushed to the fringe of US politics // ln-10-29-99-acs

Al Gore, the vice-president and still the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination in next year's election, pledged to continue the fight, and promised, somewhat surprisingly, that he would make the treaty the top priority of his presidency.

"Stay tuned, world," a defiant Mr Gore said after the vote. "The American people may revisit this issue sooner than you think."

In short, the optimistic view among supporters of the treaty is that a combination of partisan rancour and maladroit handling were to blame, rather than any fundamental shift in America's willingness to engage with the world.

RUSSIA & CHINA WILL NOT RESUME TESTING EVEN WITHOUT CTBT

ART PINE, TIMES STAFF WRITER, Los Angeles Times, October 8, 1999, Part A; Page 1; HEADLINE: SENATE TO WEIGH RATIFICATION OF NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY // ln-acs

Henry D. Sokolski, director of the conservative Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, offers this reasoning about the treaty, which would bar countries that ratify it from conducting nuclear tests and would beef up international monitoring to detect violations:

* Most of the countries that currently have nuclear capabilities--including China--already have announced testing moratoriums of their own. Russia, meanwhile, cannot afford to resume an arms race.