What was new on START Web site?
January, 2002
January 29, 2002
US and Russia continue bilateral consultations devoted to codification of the declared unilateral reductions of nuclear forces. According to Rose Gottemoeller, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Moscow "...requires only a very simple, straightforward, perhaps two-page document that would have a minimum of three points. One, a restatement of the unilateral reduction announcements that President Putin and President Bush have already made. Second, some kind of statement that the national missile defense system that the United States is constructing and any missile defense system that the Russian Federation would construct would not be designed in such a way as to remove the viability of the offensive deterrent on the other side. And then the third point, ...is that the two sides will engage in a continuing process to develop new transparency measures that will be required to build confidence in the implementation of the reductions that the presidents have promised" (Arms Control Association Panel Briefing on Nuclear Posture Review with Janne Nolan, Rose Gottemoeller and Morton Halperin, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Tuesday, January 22, 2002). See also:
- Next Round of START-ABM consultations Will Be Held in the United States, - in Russian, (Strana.Ru, January 28, 2002)
- Organizing the World to Fight Terror, (by Igor Ivanov, The New York Times, January 27, 2002)
- Marshal Igor Sergeyev Believes that Russia and the US should Conclude a Treaty on Strategic Stability, - in Russian, (Strana.ru, January 26, 2002)
- Disarmament's Glacial Pace, (Los Angeles Times, January 26 2002)
- Parity Beyond the Pocket, - in Russian, (Yuri Golotyuk, Vremya Novostey, January 25, 2002)
- U.S. Is a Demanding Spouse, (by Pavel Felgenhauer, The Moscow Times, Thursday, January 24, 2002)
- Russia Won't Storm Out, - in Russian, (by S. Bogdanov, Obozrevatel-Observer, January 2002)
- Nuclear Review Retains Old Posture, (by Joseph Cirincione and Jon B. Wolfsthal, Carnegie Endowment for Peace, Thursday, January 17, 2002)
The U.S. and Russia plan the first joint exercise on non-strategic ballistic missile intercept after U.S. withdrawal from the ABM Treaty:
- A Joint Anti-Missile Politeness, - in Russian, (by Mikhail Khodaryonok, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, January 29, 2002)
- Measures to Prevent Unauthorized Missile Launches Will Be Worked Through At U.S.-Russian Exercises, - in Russian, (Strana.Ru, January 28, 2002)
Russian Air Defense Forces plan to move their central command from deep underground facilities to the surface: Pulled Out from Under the Surface, - in Russian, (by Yuri Golotyuk, Vremya Novostei, January 29, 2002)
Pentagon conducted a successful flight test in the continuing development of a Sea-Based Midcourse Ballistic Missile Defense System:
- America Violates the Treaty, - in Russian, (by Vasili Sergeyev, Gazeta.ru, January 26, 2002)
- Sea-Based Midcourse Test Completed, (DoD Press Release, January 26, 2002)
- New Type of Missile Passes a Crucial Test, (The New York Times, January 26, 2002)
- Military Tests Anti-Missile Rocket, (by Matt Kelley, The Washington Post, Friday, January 25, 2002; 9:55 PM)
U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced that the Department of Energy and the Bush Administration will dispose of 34 metric tons of surplus weapons grade plutonium by turning the material into mixed oxide fuel (MOX) for use in nuclear reactors. The decision follows an exhaustive Administration review of non-proliferation programs, including alternative technologies to dispose of surplus plutonium to meet the non-proliferation goals agreed to by the United States and Russia.
- Pound foolish on plutonium, (Chicago Tribune, January 26, 2002)
- Energy Department tosses immobilization, (The Bulletin Wire, January 24, 2002)
- What About the Rest of It?, (by Jon B. Wolfsthal, Carnegie Endowment for Peace, Thursday, January 23, 2002)
- U.S. Plan To Use Bomb Plutonium As Nuclear Fuel Faces Enormous Legal, Economic And Safety Hurdles, (Nuclear Control Institute, January 23, 2002)
- U.S. Settles on Plan to Recycle Plutonium, by Matthew Wald, The New York Times, January 23, 2002)
- Energy Dept. to Convert Plutonium, (by Josef Hebert, Associated Press, Wednesday January 23 4:56 PM ET)
- Rocky Flats to ship plutonium, (by Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News, January 23, 2002)
- Secretary Abraham Announces Administration Plan to Proceed with Plutonium Disposition & Reduce Proliferation Concerns, DoE Press Release, January 23, 2002
The latest round of talks between USEC Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland, that sells nuclear fuel taken from old Soviet weapons and its Russian counterpart, Tenex, over a new pricing agreement ended Friday in Moscow without a deal. USEC executives say that they could not reach an agreement over the conditions of implementation of the "megatons-to-megawatts" program: Nuclear Fuel Deal Stalls Over Prices, (by Nancy Zuckerbrod, The Moscow Times, January 28, 2002)
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged U.S. to preserve and enforce existing arms control and non-proliferation regime:
- Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Official Statement in Connection with the Speech of US Under Secretary of State John R. Bolton to the Conference on Disarmament, January 28, 2002)
- Statement of the Honorable John R. Bolton, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, United States Department of State to the Conference on Disarmament, January 24, 2002.
The PIR Center published in the PIR Library Series a monograph on "Nuclear Nonproliferation in the US–Russian Relations: Challenges and Opportunities", (Vladimir Orlov, Roland Timerbaev, and Anton Khlopkov, PIR Center, Moscow, 2002).
Center for Peace and War Journalism issued two first issues of a new journal on "Problems of Global Security". In the November-December, 2001 issue of the journal (all in Russian):
- Beyond the Summit Power, (by Vladimir Belous)
- Russia and the US: Partners or..., (by Kirill Mikhaylov)
- Medical Consequences of Nuclear Tests, (by Ivan Vasilenko)
- The Present and the Future of Fast Reactors, (by Vladimir Kuznetsov)
January 23, 2002
U.S. and Russian defense officials, ending two days of talks on nuclear and other security issues last week, remained at odds over U.S. intentions to store, not destroy, thousands of warheads.
- Weakness Is Not a Reproach For an Impudent , - in Russian, (by Leonid Nikolayev, Sovetskaya Rossiya, January 22, 2002)
- Arms Deal Sought That Limits U.S. Defense, (by Vladimir Isachenkov, The Moscow Times, Tuesday, January 22, 2002)
- Washington and Moscow are in Different Weights over the "Breakout Potential" Problem, - in Russian, (by Yevgueniy Yevdokimov, Strana.ru, January 21, 2002)
- Fateful Warheads, - in Russian, (by Leonid Zlotin, Kompaniya, N 2, 2002)
- America Holds Their Own, - in Russian, (by Vladimir Georgiyev, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, January 18, 2002)
- Yuri Baluyevsky: "We'll Saw Nuclear Missiles", - in Russian, (by Yevgeniy Bai, Izvestia, January 18, 2002)
- US-Russian Talks Having Hard Time, - in Russian, (by Vladimir Ardayev, BBC Russian Service,, January 17, 2002, 12:49 GMT)
- U.S.-Russia Nuclear Talks Seek Pacts for Bush Trip, (by Walter Pincus, The Washington Post, Thursday, January 17, 2002; Page A11)
- U.S. throws wrench into Russia ties, (by Howard Witt, Chicago Tribune, January 17, 2002)
- Russia, U.S. Arms Talks End on Chill, (by Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2002)
- DoD Special Briefing on the Russian Visit, Wednesday, January 16, 2002
- Under Secretary Feith Joint Media Availability with Russian First Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff General-Colonel Yuriy Nikolayevich Baluyevskiy, DoD Press Briefing, January 16, 2002
- U.S., Russia Still at Odds on Nuclear Warhead Fate, (by Reuters, January 16, 2002)
Experts keep up debates over the prospects of arms control. "...US Nuclear Posture Review underlines that the US plan to fulfil the reductions outside of the US-Russian agreement framework. Which once again confirms the fact that the US do not need the existing strategic arms control regime anymore... Another conclusion that one can draw upon reading the NPR is that the US have taken a course on gradual shift of the deterrent role from nuclear to conventional arms...": Our Comment: Pentagon's New Nuclear Policy, - in Russian, (by Eugene Miasnikov, January 22, 2002). See also:
- Three US Strategies, - in Russian, (by Pyotr Podlesny, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, January 22, 2002)
- Taking Apart the Nuclear Arsenal, (James Goodby, The Washington Post, Monday, January 21, 2002; Page A16)
- Russia and the US to Make a Choice, - in Russian, (by Sergey Rogov, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, January 19, 2002)
- Nuclear Review Retains Old Posture, (by Joseph Cirincione and Jon B. Wolfsthal, Carnegie Endowment for Peace, Thursday, January 17, 2002)
- Nuclear Underachievers, (by Richard Sokolsky, The Washington Post, Thursday, January 17, 2002; Page A23)
- Interview with Susan Eisenhower, and Roald Sagdeyev, - in Russian, (Ekho Moskvy Radio, January 16, 2002)
- Test for Strength. We Got Ten Year to Get into the "Nuclear" Swing, - in Russian, (by Natalia Galimova, Moskovski Komsomolets, January 16, 2002) - an interview with Alexei Arbatov, Deputy Chair of the Duma's Defense Committee and Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chair of the Duma's Committee on International Affairs
- The End of Strategic Arms Control?, (by Pavel Podvig, PONARS Policy Memo No. 217, December 2001)
- The ABM Treaty: The End of One Saga and the Start of Another, (by Nikolai Sokov, PONARS Policy Memo No. 218, December 2001)
First Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff General-Colonel Yuriy Baluyevskiy in his interview given before the visit to Washington officially acknowledged that Moscow radically changes the concept of development of strategic nuclear forces (Moscow Changes the Concept of Development of Nuclear Forces, - in Russian, by Sergey Sokut, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, January 19, 2002)
Two-day Russian-American consultations over the issues of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means began in Moscow on Monday:
- Alexander Yakovenko, the Official Spokesman of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Answers a Question from the Mayak Radio Station Regarding an Upcoming Review of the Operation of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, January 22, 2002
- Double Standard, - in Russian, (by Dmitri Safonov, Izvestia, January 22, 2002)
The feasibility to build an ICBM based on Scud technology is still debated in the US. In an interview for The Washington Post Timur Kadyshev, an expert with our Center said: "there are certain things you can do to improve the Scud, such as lightening the airframe, installing new turbopumps and clustering engines, but you quickly run into limitations... At some point, you need to switch to better technology" (How Politics Helped Redefine Threat, by Michael Dobbs, The Washington Post, Monday, January 14, 2002; Page A01). See also: Washington Prepares for an Unknown War, - in Russian, (by Marina Kalashninkova, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, January 23, 2002).
Potential consequences of the US withdrawal from the 1972 ABM Treaty are still discussed in the media
- Hyperboloid of Engineer Tauns, - in Russian, (by Nikolai Poroskov, Vek, N 3, January 18, 2002) - an interview with Valentin Belokon, Academician of Cosmonautics Academy
- Bush's Big ABM Blunder, (by Stan Crock, Buisness Week, January 17, 2002)
In the recent issue of Arms Control Today (January-February 2002):
- Russia’s Strategic Priorities, (by Celeste A. Wallander)
- Can China’s Tolerance Last?, (by Bates Gill)
- ABM Treaty Withdrawal: Neither Necessary nor Prudent, (ACA Press Conference with Daryl G. Kimball, Joseph Cirincione, Lisbeth Gronlund, and John Rhinelander)
- Debt for Nonproliferation: The Next Step in Threat Reduction, (by James Fuller)
- Bush Announces U.S. Intent to Withdraw From ABM Treaty, (by Wade Boese)
- Nuclear Posture Review Released, Stresses Flexible Force Planning, (by Philipp C. Bleek)
- Threat Reduction Boosted By Policy Review, Spending Bills, (by Philipp C. Bleek)
- December Missile Defense Tests Yield One Success, One Failure, (by Wade Boese)
- Nearly $500 Million Cut From Bush Missile Defense Request, (by Wade Boese)
- U.S., Russia Complete START I Reductions, (by Philipp C. Bleek)
Center for Defense Information released an electronic version of Arms Control Chronology -- the record of arms control efforts undertaken since the beginning of the nuclear age through 2002, (ñompiled by Jack Mendelsohn, CDI Senior Associate and David Grahame, a Cambridge University honors Graduate, January 2002).
USEC Inc., the Bethesda company that takes uranium from Russian nuclear warheads and sells it to nuclear power plants in the United States, is locked in a disagreement with the Russians over terms for continuing the contract that expired at year-end:
- Price Clash Stalls Renewal of U.S.-Russia Uranium Pact, (by Martha McNeil Hamilton, The Washington Post, Monday, January 21, 2002; Page E02)
- U.S.-Russia Uranium Pact Stalls, (by David Willman and Alan C. Miller, Los Angeles Times, January 16, 2002)
Since the suicidal terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, some experts on nuclear security are increasingly concerned that intruders could break into American weapons plants, assemble a nuclear bomb from materials there and explode it on the spot:
- Suicidal Nuclear Threat Is Seen at Weapons Plants, (by Matthew L. Wald, The New York Times, January 23, 2002)
- Nuclear Arms Plants' Security Lax, Report Says, (by Eric Pianin and Bill Miller, Washington Post, Wednesday, January 23, 2002; Page A15)
Aleksey Yablokov, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, accused Minatom that import of foreign nuclear wastes for reprocessing is just a cover for financial machinations: Money are Taken out of Russia in Nuclear Wastes, - in Russian, (by Yelena Vrantseva, Gazeta.ru, January 21, 2002)
January 16, 2002
The Bush Administration's public release of the Nuclear Posture Review was the major event of the last week. As we expected, the US intend to replace reductions of their strategic offensive forces by decreasing the state of readiness. The review provoked a wave of criticism from the arms control experts.
- A Strength Test, - in Russian, (by Natalia Galimova, Moskovski Komsomolez, January 16, 2002) - an interview with Alexei Arbatov, Deputy Chair of the State Duma Defense Committee, and Konstantin Kosachyov, Deputy Chair of the State Duma International Relations Committee
- Neutralizing Nukes, (Christian Science Monitor, January 16, 2002)
- Stuck in the cold war, (by Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, Financial Times, January 14, 2002)
- Another Rumsfeld Bomb, (by William M. Arkin, The Washington Post, Monday, January 14, 2002; 7:38 AM)
- U.S. Shift Clouds Arms Deal, (by Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times, January 13, 2002)
- Nuclear Weapons Subtraction, (The New York Times, January 12, 2002)
- Disarmament Depot, - in Russian, (by Alexander Lomanov, Vremya Novostey, January 11, 2002)
- U.S. Wants to Store Warheads, (by Megan Twohey, The Moscow Times, Friday, January 11, 2002)
- Nuclear posture, (Financial Times, January 11, 2002)
- President Bush Spared Warheads, - in Russian, (by Ivan Safronov, Kommersant, January 10, 2002)
- Careless Dismantlement, - in Russian, (by Artur Blinov, Vremya MN, January 10, 2002)
- Leakage to Test the Reaction, - in Russian, (by Vadim Markushin, Krasnaya Zvezda, January 10, 2002)
- Administration Releases Nuclear Posture Review: Major Questions Remain, (Council for Livable World Press Release, January 10, 2002)
- U.S. Aims for 3,800 Nuclear Warheads, (by Walter Pincus, The Washington Post, Thursday, January 10, 2002; Page A09)
- US plan to store warheads casts doubt on nuclear deal, (by Robert Cottrell and Judy Dempsey, Financial Times, January 10, 2002)
- Bush under fire for nuclear 'sleight of hand', (by Richard Wolffe, Financial Times, January 10, 2002)
- U.S. Nuke Proposal Called Shell Game, (by H. Josef Hebert, Associated Press, Thursday January 10 5:30 AM ET)
- DoD Special Briefing on the Nuclear Posture Review, Wednesday, January 9, 2002
- Nuclear Deception by the US, - in Russian, (by Vasiliy Sergeyev, Gazeta.ru, January 9, 2002)
- Underground Plans, - in Russian, (by Andrey Lebedev and Dmitri Safronov, Izvestia, January 9, 2002)
- Pentagon Study Urges Arms Shift, From Nuclear To High-Tech, (by James Dao, The New York Times, January 9, 2002)
- US to Replace Nuclear Weapons with Precision-Guided Conventional Ones. However, Warheads Won't be Destroyed, - in Russian, (Strana.ru, January 8, 2002)
See also our special section on the US Strategic Offensive Forces (in Russian) and Eugene Miasnikov's comments on the impending US strategic reductions that was released two months ago.
Moscow gave a predictable reaction. Alexander Yakovenko, official spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry said, that Russian-American agreements on further reductions of nuclear weapons have to be verifiable and irreversible:
- Moscow Chides U.S. on Plan to Store Warheads, (by Peter Baker, The Washington Post, Saturday, January 12, 2002; Page A16)
- Russia Rejects U.S. Plan to Store Warheads, (by Patrick E. Tyler, The New York Times, January 11, 2002)
- Alexander Yakovenko, the Official Spokesman of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, answers a question from Russian media concerning reports on the US strategic plans in the nuclear field, January 9, 2002 - in Russian.
- U.S. Encourages Russia on Technology, (by Barry Schweid, Associated Press, Thursday, January 10, 2002; 4:45 PM)
January 15, the next round of Russian-American consultations on strategic stability began in Washington. In an interview for Gazeta.ru Eugene Miasnikov, STAR Site Editor, said that "...Americans do not need the START III agreement in the form that Russian side wants it...they want to untie their hands, they made the decision already, and won't change their mind...for Russia, in this situation...one of the main goals at the negotiations should be to achieve maximum transparency of further reductions of the US nuclear weapons..." (General Baluyevsky Hopes to Make Bush to Change his Mind, - in Russian, by Alexandr Kornilov, Gazeta.ru, January 15, 2002). See also:
- U.S., Russia Tackle Nuclear Cuts in 2-Day Talks, (by Megan Twohey, The Moscow Times, Wednesday, January 16, 2002)
- On Opposite Courses, - in Russian, (by Dmitri Safonov, Izvestia, January 16, 2002)
- Russian Delegation Meets Pentagon, (by Barry Schweid, Associated Press, Tuesday, January 15, 2002; 4:55 PM)
- An Interview with Rep. Curt Weldon, - in Russian, (Ekho Moskvy, January 15, 2002)
- Honest Nuclear Word, - in Russian, (by Yuri Golotyuk, Vremya Novostey, January 15, 2002)
- New Start on Potomac River, - in Russian, (by Vladimir Frolov, Vremya MN, January 15, 2002)
- U.S., Russia Discuss Nuclear Cuts, (by Charles Aldinger, The Moscow Times, Tuesday, January 15, 2002)
- Moscow demands new arms treaty with US, (by Michael Binyon, The Times, January 14, 2002)
- Russia Passes on Missile Defense, (by Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press, Friday, January 11, 2002; 2:42 PM)
- The First Round of Russian-American Consultations on Strategic Stability will Take Place January 14-18 in Washington, - in Russian, (RIA "Novosti", January 11, 2002)
Experts from Brookings Institution believe that US can reduce their strategic arsenal to 1000 weapons by the end of 2005:
- George Bush Doesn't Keep His Word, - in Russian, (by Andrei Lebedev, Izvestia, January 14, 2002)
- A New Agenda for Nuclear Weapons, (by Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, Brookings Institution, January 9, 2002)
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced this week the redesignation of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) as the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Thus, the Pentagon raised the status of the US NMD program: DoD Establishes Missile Defense Agency, (DoD Press Release, January 4, 2002)
According to a recently issued CIA Report, by 2015 Russia will remain to be the largest nuclear power, although by that time its offensive arsenal will be reduced to 2000 warheads or less. The report also forecasts that China will increase the number of deployed ICBMs to 75-100 units:
- Threat Assessment: Two Experts Generally Agree With U.S. Missile Threat Review, (by Steve Hirsch, Global Security Newswire, January 14, 2002)
- How Politics Helped Redefine Threat, (by Michael Dobbs, The Washington Post, Monday, January 14, 2002; Page A01)
- China's Weaponry Detailed, (by James Risen, The New York Times, January 11, 2002)
- U.S. Alters Estimate Of Threats, (by Walter Pincus, The Washington Post, Friday, January 11, 2002; Page A01)
- China 'increases nuclear missiles', (by Roland Watson and Michael Binyon, The Times, January 11, 2002)
- CIA Experts Fear Chinese Nuclear Weapons, - in Russian, (by Georgi Il'yin, Izvestia, January 10, 2002)
- How Many Missiles does China Need?, - in Russian, (by Vladimir Tuchkov, Vesti.ru, January 10, 2002)
- Now America is Afraid of China, - in Russian, (by Vasiliy Sergeyev, Gazeta.ru, January 10, 2002.)
- Report sees China greatly increasing missile force, (by Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, January 10, 2002)
- Foreign Missile Developments and the Ballistic Missile Threat Through 2015, Unclassified Summary of a National Intelligence Estimate, (Central Intelligence Agency, December 2001)
American experts keep discussing the issues of US NMD deployment:
- Missile Shield or Holy Grail?, (by Walter C. Uhler, The Nation, January 28, 2002)
- Independent Panel Of Scientists Endorses Missile Defense Test Plans, (by Kerry Gildea, Defense Daily, January 10, 2002)
- Heritage: Deploying Missile Defenses Crucial To Homeland Security, (by Keith J. Costa, Inside Missile Defense, January 9, 2002)
See also:
- New Genie from the Old Bottle (Why and What for did US withdraw from the 1972 ABM treaty), - in Russian, (by Vladislav Shurygin, Zavtra, January 8, 2002)
- U.S. Withdrawal from the ABM Treaty: Post-Mortem and Possible Consequences, (by Nikolai Sokov, CNS Reports, December 14, 2002)
On the prospects of young Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) officers in connection with forthcoming reductions of this force, see interview with Col.-Gen. Vitali Fyedorov, head of SRF personnel directorate: Rocket Forces Remain to be Young, - in Russian, (by Alexander Dolinin, Krasnaya Zvezda, January 11, 2002)
The Bush administration plans to ask Congress $1.04 billion this year for Energy Department programs to safeguard and dispose of weapons- grade nuclear materials. Detailed plan can be found on the Russian-American Nuclear Security Advisory Council website:
- Anticipated FY2003 Budget Request for Department of Energy Cooperative Nuclear Security Programs in Russia, (Russian-American Nuclear Security Advisory Council, January 9, 2002)
- White House Seeking Funds to Dismantle Nuclear Arms, (by Adam Clymer, The New York Times, January 9, 2002)
- Fact Sheet: Nonproliferation, Threat Reduction Assistance to Russia, White House Fact Sheet, 27 December 2001)
The Energy Department cleared the way for construction of a huge, centralized site for nuclear waste storage in Nevada. This plan was adopted in violation of nuclear waste storage safety standards adopted earlier in the US:
- Americans Dig a Burial Ground for Themselves, - in Russian, (by Vasili Sergeyev, Gazeta.ru, January 11, 2002)
- Nevada Site Urged for Nuclear Dump, (by Matthew L. Wald, The New York Times, January 11, 2002)
- Nevada Nuclear Waste Site Chosen, (by Eric Pianin, The Washington Post, Friday, January 11, 2002; Page A01)
At the Russian STAR Forum: ICBM Topol modifications, and other topics.
January 4, 2002
The Pentagon’s nuclear forces posture review, which was submitted to Congress Dec. 31, outlines "significant change" to U.S. strategic capabilities, the details of which are to remain classified for now, according to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. A new reference section of the STAR Site US Strategic Offensive Forces (in Russian) is devoted specifically to this issue. See also:
- Nuke Review To Remain Classified For Now, Pentagon Considers Public Release, (by Hunter Keeter, Defense Daily, January 4, 2002)
- DoD News Briefing - Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2002 - 1:15 p.m. EST
- DoD News Briefing - Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers, Thursday, December 27, 2001 - 2:00 p.m. EST
- Keep the Nuclear Sword Sharp, (by John Foster, Los Angeles Times, December 27, 2001)
Alksandr Vovk, aide to the commander-in-chief of the Strategic Rocket Forces, announced on the eve of New Year that strategic nuclear force will be reduced by a third: Russian Nuclear Shield Will Be Lighter By A Third, in Russian, (by Aleksandr Kornilov, Gazeta.RU, December 25, 2001)
President Bush pledged to expand programs to help Russia keep nuclear weapons material under control, and to dismantle nuclear, chemical and biological weapons:
- Clinton's Worse Than Bush, in Russian, (by Vasilii Sergeyev, Gazeta.RU, December 28, 2001)
- Bush Pledges More Aid For Russian Arms Cuts, (by Mike Allen, The Washington Post, Friday, December 28, 2001; Page A01)
- US to Help Russia on Nuclear Control, (by Barry Schweid, Associated Press, Friday, December 28, 2001; 8:43 AM)
Russian Parliament put off a vote on a resolution condemning Washington's withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty: Russian Parliament Delays ABM Vote, (by Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press, Thursday, December 27, 2001; 12:50 PM).
Joseph Cirincione and Keith Payne debate the relevance of missile defense in the new issue of NATO Review: In the Wake of September 11, Where Does Missile Defense Fit in Security Spending Priorities? (NATO Review, Winter 2001-2002, pp 26-30) - in PDF format. See also:
- Missile Defense: The Untold Story, (by Bill Keller, The New York Times, December 29, 2001)
- Very Simple. New Caribbean Crisis on the 40-th Anniversary of the First One? - in Russian, (by Yekaterina Dobrynina, Wek, December 28, 2001)
"...US unilateral withdrawal from the ABM treaty automatically relieved Russia from one delicate problem. The point is that according to Russian-Chinese treaty of July 16, 2001, the parties declared mutual adherence to "strict observance of fundamental agreements that ensure the maintenance of strategic stability" (article 12). Should US choose the way of "modifications and addenda" to the ABM treaty, Russia would have to discuss and accept them, and inevitably they would come to a situation that would contradict the spirit of this article, in the same way as in the case of their joint withdrawal from the 1972 ABM treaty..." (Two Ways, - in Russian, by Sergey Luzyanin, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, December 26, 2001)
"...The Kremlin hopes to nail down at least two new treaties this year... First, the verbal deal between Putin and Bush to slash strategic nuclear missile forces to about 2,000 warheads should be codified as a set of mutual legal obligations, complete with a mechanism for verification. Second, the Kremlin wants a new document regulating the relationship between offensive and defensive weapons, to replace the ABM treaty, perhaps by the time of Bush's planned mid-2002 visit to Russia...", (Russia remains skeptical of paperless disarmament, by Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, January 4, 2002)
Russian experts urge for starting a dialog on of reducing the probability of an accidental nuclear war: De-alerting Russian and US nuclear weapons: A path to reducing nuclear dangers, (by A.G. Arbatov, V.S. Belous, A.A. Pikaev and V.G. Baranovsky, Institute of International Economy and Foreign Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 2001)
The Energy Department's inspector general has determined that the growing problems associated with the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons, without nuclear testing, have become a "most serious challenge area" for the newly established National Nuclear Security Agency that runs the weapons: Report Finds Shortcomings In Energy Dept. Arms Testing, (by Walter Pincus, The Washington Post, Thursday, January 3, 2002; Page A15)
Gosatomnadzor expressed serious concern regarding extremely unsatisfactory situation over security and safety of transportation of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear submarine reactors. According to the head of Gosatomnadzor Mr. Vishnevsky, the violations put the regions, on which territory nuclear wastes are transported, on the brink of environmental catastrophe:
- Siberia to be Relieved from Nuclear Wastes, - in Russian, (by Konstantin Getmansky, Izvestia, December 29, 2002)
- They Spoiled It. Russia Can't Transport Nuclear Wastes, - in Russian, (by Irina Podlesova, Izvestia, December 28, 2001)
- Gosatomnadzor of Russia Raise Alarm Over Extremely Unsatisfactory Safeguards When Transporting Spent Nuclear Fuel To Mayak Plant, (NuclearNo.Ru, December 26, 2001)
Summing up five years of "TVEL" enterprise -- an interview with Anatoli Vorobyev, Director on Economy Strategy of one of the largest Minatom's corporative element: Seven Programs for Tomorrow, in Russian, (by Gennady Voznesensky, Wek, December 28, 2001)
In the recent issue of Yaderny Kontrol (November-December 2001) -- in Russian
- Important, but Insufficient Step. Summing Up Russian-American Summit of November, 2001 (by Roland Timerbayev and Yuri Fedorov)
- NATO Extension: How to Outflank Russia? (by Nadezhda Arbatova)
- Treaty on Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Forces, (by Yuri Nazarkin)
The Indian subcontinent is the most likely place in the world for a nuclear war: India, Pakistan and the Bomb, (by M. V. Ramana and A. H. Nayyar, Scientific American, December 2001). See also: Pakistan's Nuclear Forces, 2001, (The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, January/February 2002, Vol. 58, No.1, pp. 70–71)
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