Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Justine Rellosa- Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) expressed unease with the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) Thursday at a conference on missile defense hosted by the American Foreign Policy Council.

“I think we have the technology, the capability and the responsibility as a federal government to defend our citizens, and to sign a major treaty that agrees in perpetuity to make ourselves vulnerable to a nuclear attack ... I can’t accept that when we have the capability to change it,” DeMint said.

In recent days, DeMint has argued that the START Treaty is flawed since it seeks to limit both the U.S. and Russia to the same sized arsenal, despite the international responsibilities the U.S. holds to protect its allies.

On Thursday, the senator voiced concern that the START Treaty has “nothing to do with defending against Russian missiles" and claimed that the reduction of arms will do little to discourage provocative behavior from rogue nations.

“This idea that ... [reducing] the number of offensive weapons that we have is going to encourage Iran and North Korea to play a responsible role in the world is absurd," said DeMint. "If we’re willing to submit to mutually assured destruction with Russia, what’s to say that we won’t make that same agreement with Iran?”

Former Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, who appeared with DeMint, said that nuclear threats will continue to evolve and that he expects to see additional launches from Iran and North Korea.

“I do believe that the threat will continue to progress. I expect that we’re going to see additional launches from both Iran and North Korea ... I believe that the Iranians will be flying a 4,000 kilometer rated missile in the next 2-3 years.”