DoD Official Assures Skeptical McCain On START

By Rob Sanna - Talk Radio News Service

Multiple members of the Senate Armed Services Committee today expressed deep concerns over elements of the new START Treaty, saying they have doubts regarding the trustworthiness of Russia.   

Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) cited a Russian unilateral statement, which said the nation would pull out of the treaty if there is any build up in U.S. missile defense. McCain also pointed to a statement issued by U.S. officials promising to deploy missile defense to protect against nuclear attack. 

“I still don’t know how you reconcile those two statements,” McCain told Dr. James N. Miller, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense under Pentagon chief Robert Gates.

Miller replied that the current U.S. missile defense system is far from a threat to Russia.

“We have 30 ground to air interceptors, we have a long way to go before we have any capability that’s close to affecting the strategic stability of the balance. They will have over 1000 warheads with new START.”

Miller praised the treaty, arguing that it will promote stability and transparency within U.S-Russian strategic relations. He added that it would allow the U.S to deploy non-nuclear global strike capabilities.

New START would not affect the U.S.’ ability to renew and rebuild nuclear enterprise, nor would it affect the ability to improve ballistic missile defense capabilities, Miller added.