NEGATIVE/CTBT

CTBT DOES NOT INFLUENCE THE DECISIONS OF POTENTIAL NUCLEAR NATIONS

CTBT HAS NO EFFECT ON SO-CALLED "ROGUE" STATES ANYWAY

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:

* As for so-called rogue states such as North Korea and Iran, treaty critics point out that the nations weren't expected to sign the pact and are unlikely to become major nuclear powers any time soon--even if they step up their bomb-building programs.

VERIFYING THE CTBT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT

ERIC SCHMITT, The New York Times August 30, 1999, SECTION: Section A; Page 1;  HEADLINE: DEMOCRATS READY FOR FIGHT TO SAVE TEST BAN TREATY // lnu-acs

Although the treaty sets up a global system of sensors to monitor compliance, critics contend that verifying the agreement would be difficult.