What was new on START Web site?
October, 1999
October 22, 1999
U.S. attempts to revise the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty risk undermining all other efforts to further reduce nuclear weapons, Russia said today as the countries wrapped up two days of weapons talks. There was no sign of any breakthroughs in the discussions, and none was expected. A strongly worded statement by Russia's Foreign Ministry reflected Moscow's adamant opposition to any changes in the 1972 treaty.
- Russia Warns U.S. on Arms Control, (by Greg Myre, Associated Press, Friday, Oct. 22, 1999; 9:20 a.m. EDT)
- U.S. Missile Plan Hits Roadblock, (by Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, October 22, 1999)
- Is It Real To Turn the World Back To the Cold War? - in Russian, (by Sergei Sokut, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 22, 1999)
- The Firm U.S. Intention, - in Russian (by Vladimir Dvorkin, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 22, 1999)
- Russia and U.S. Begin New ABM Talks, (The Moscow Times, October 22, 1999)
Russia poured cold water on the idea of receiving help from the United States to complete a Siberian missile-tracking radar station in exchange for agreement on changes to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. In a brief statement, the Foreign Ministry said "there are no grounds" for American newspaper reports about the U.S. offer of assistance that were published on Sunday. Pavel Podvig, an expert of our Center said in an interview to The Washington Post: "...I have a very strong impression that the Russian military, and the Foreign Ministry as well, have taken this issue to heart, and they are determined to stand firm on ABM no matter what... The United States should understand what the situation is. There should be a clear understanding Russia is not at all happy with all this talk about changing the ABM treaty, and some in Russia seem to be willing to go as far as to pull out of the START I treaty..." (Russia Apparently Snubs U.S. Radar Offer Aid to Complete Siberian Site Was Made in Exchange for ABM Treaty Changes, by David Hoffman, , The Washington Post, Wednesday, October 20, 1999; Page A26)
See also the recent Center's press-release and Pavel Podvig's comments (both in Russian).
- Russians Firmly Reject U.S. Plan to Reopen ABM Treaty, (by Michael R. Gordon, The New York Times, October 21, 1999)
- Selling Russia On Missile Defense, (The New York Times, October 21, 1999)
- White House Hopeful Over ABM Changes, by Associated Press, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 1999; 6:51 p.m. EDT)
- Russians Reject U.S. ABM Compromise, (by Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 1999; 8:43 a.m. EDT)
- Haggling Is Unappropriate Here. Russia Rejects a Possibility of Bargain on ABM Treaty, (by Nikolai Zimin and Andrei Smirnov, Segodnia, October 20, 1999, p. 2)
- United States Began Pressing Publicly, - in Russian, (by Dmitri Gornostayev, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 19, 1999)
- Russia and the United States Start Over the Cold War, - in Russian, (Gazeta.Ru, October 1999)
Russia and China on Thursday backed a U.N. resolution demanding compliance with the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and said they would seek international support in pressuring the United States against amending the agreement. The resolution must be approved by the disarmament committee before being submitted to the full General Assembly. While General Assembly resolutions are non binding, they do express the sentiments of the 188 U.N. members (Russia, China Make Demands on U.S., by Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press, Thursday, Oct. 21, 1999; 7:52 p.m. EDT)
The Pentagon has decided that if President Clinton chooses to deploy a national defense against ballistic missile attack, it should be based in Alaska (Pentagon Eyes Alaska Defense System, by Robert Burns, Associated Press, Thursday, Oct. 21, 1999; 4:43 p.m. EDT).
Moves to deploy ballistic missile defenses are criticised by the U.S. experts:
- New Rules For The Nuclear Age, (by Peter Grier, The Christian Science Monitor, October 19, 1999, p. 1)
- Arms Control Specialists See Risk In US Treaty Moves, (by John Donnelly, Boston Globe, October 19, 1999, p. 1)
Russia handed control of a key radar facility over to the former Soviet republic of Latvia on Thursday, formally ending its resented, half-century military presence in the Baltic states:
- Holes In Russian Sky And Latvian Budget, - in Russian (by Yuri Golotyuk, Izvestiya, October 22, 1999)
- Russia Ends Baltic Military Control, (by Associated Press, Thursday, Oct. 21, 1999; 1:14 p.m. EDT)
Russia successfully test-launched an SS-19 ballistic missile Wednesday from neighboring Kazakstan: Russia Tests Ballistic Missile, (by Associated Press, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 1999; 9:10 a.m. EDT)
Ukraine prepares to transfer 11 Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers to Russia.
- An Expert Group of Russian Air Force Came to Ukraine to Accept Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers - in Russian, (ITAR-TASS, October 21, 1999)
- Used "Foreign" Planes for the Ministry of Defense, (by Yekaterina Kaz, Segodnia, October 20, 1999, p. 2)
- Ukraine Pays Its Debts With Bombers, (by Ilya Kedrov, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 19, 1999)
Russian government wants to submit the CTBT to the parliament (Treaty to Go to Duma, The Moscow Times, October 22, 1999)
The Central Intelligence Agency expressed some concern over the safety of aging Soviet-era nuclear power plants in Russia and Ukraine (Year 2000 Bugs Still Threatens Soviet-Era A-Plants, The New York Times, October 22, 1999). See also Supported by International Technical Center, Nine Nuclear Power Stations Set About to Solve the Y2K Problem, (Press-conferences held by National Press Institute, June 2, 1999, - in Russian)
Russian government decided to resume production of sea-launched ballistic missiles including the most modern SS-N-23 SLBMs (Makeyev's Design Bureau Has A Defense Order for the Nearest Future, - in Russian, South-Urals Press Service, October 20, 1999)
Preparations began to dispose first Typhoon SSBN. According to Bellona environmental organization, CTR's objective so far is to dismantle 32 SSBNs: one Yankee, 26 Deltas, and 5 Typhoons:
- Commission on Disposing a Nuclear Submarine Will Be Formed Among Local Experts, - in Russian, (Sever-Inform, October 20, 1999)
- Deltas cut in pieces, (by Igor Kudrik, Bellona, October 20, 1999)
The United States stored 12,000 nuclear weapons and components in Morocco, Japan, Iceland, Puerto Rico, Cuba and at least 23 other countries and five territories during the Cold War, according to a new article based on a recently declassified document:
- Does U.S. Nuclear Weapons Remain on the Territories of Seven Foreign Countries?, - in Russian, (by Dmitry Gornostayev, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 21, 1999)
- U.S. Once Deployed 12,000 Atom Arms in 2 Dozen Nations, (by Judith Miller, The New York Times, October 20, 1999)
- United States Secretly Deployed Nuclear Bombs In 27 Countries and Territories During Cold War, (by Robert S. Norris, William M. Arkin and William Burr, The Bulletin Of Atomic Scientists, November-December, 1999)
- documents from National Security Archives
A new book narrates the history of India’s nuclear program from 1947 through the end of 1998: India's Nuclear Bomb (by George Perkovich, University of California Press, 1999)
Academician Nikolai Dollezhal, designer of the first submarine nuclear reactors, is celebrating 100-s anniversary soon: Optimist's Life Is Long, - in Russian, (by Svetlana Kovaleva, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 20, 1999)
October 18, 1999
In a dramatic reversal of previous policy, the United States is now offering to help Russia complete a large missile tracking radar near Irkutsk, Siberia if Moscow agrees in exchange to renegotiate ABM Treaty:
- U.S. Seeking to Renegotiate a Landmark Missile Treaty, (by Michael R. Gordon, The New York Times, October 17, 1999)
- U.S. Offers Aid to Russia On Radar Site, (by Steven Mufson and Bradley Graham, The Washington Post, Sunday, October 17, 1999; Page A01)
- U.S., Russia Review Nuclear Treaty, by Sonya Ross, Associated Press, Sunday, Oct. 17, 1999; 4:12 p.m. EDT)
"...If ABM Treaty is broken, all negotiations on START will be senseless...,"- Igor Ivanov, Russian Foreign Minister said in an interview to Nezavisimaya Gazeta:
- Igor Ivanov: "President's Resignation Will Destabilize the Situation in the World", - in Russian (by Dmitry Gornostayev, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 12, 1999, p. 1, 6)
- Military Opposes U.S. ABM Shield, (by Simon Saradzhyan, The Moscow Times, October 12, 1999)
According to Vladimir Basistov, Chief Designer and Director of Radiotechnic Means and Systems Design Bureau (Scientific Research Institute of the Radio Engineering, NIIRP), Russia is missing an opportunity to improve the world security by the means of regional antimissile systems: Development Must Be Harmonious ( Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, N 40, October 15-21, 1999, p. 4)
Carnegie Endowment for Peace held a seminar A Russian-US Boost-Phase Defense Against Rogue State ICBMs with principle speakers Mr. Richard Garwin, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Prof. Theodore Postol, MIT Security Studies Program.
Press continues to comment the U.S. Senate's decision to reject the CTBT:
- Rejection of Treaty Is a Liability Overseas, (by Jane Perlez, The New York Times, October 17, 1999)
- Russia muses over nuclear testing, (by Igor Kudrik, Bellona Press Release, October 15, 1999)
- Clinton Says 'New Isolationism' Imperils U.S. Security, (by David E. Sanger, The New York Times, October 15, 1999)
- Nations Unite in Assailing Senate Vote on Test Ban Treaty, (by William Drozdiak, The Washington Post, Friday, October 15, 1999; Page A19)
- America Has A Latent Wish to Explode Nuclear Bombs - in Russian, (by Dmitri Gornostayev, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 15, 1999, p. 1, 6). See also a comment by Sergei Sokut (in Russian) on hydrodynamic experiments in Russia
- The U.S. Senate Has Made Its Choice, (by Vadim Markushin, Krasnaya Zvezda, October 15, 1999)
- The U.S. Senate Has Not Supported the Nuclear Test Ban, - in Russian, (by Vladimir Abarinov, Izvestiya, October 15, 1999)
Publication of the draft new military doctrine created a heated debate on Russian nuclear policy:
Electronic version of the July-August issue of Arms Control Today is now available on-line. Papers published include:
- Security Of the Nuclear Arsenal, (by Vladimir Dernovoi, Krasnaya Zvezda, Ocotber 16, 1999, p. 4) - an interview with Nikolai Voloshin, Head of the Department For Design and Testing Of Nuclear Weapons of the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy
- America is the Kremlin's Enemy Number One. Russian Defense Ministry Does Not Exclude A Possibility of a Nuclear War, (by Oleg Odnokolenko, Segodnia, October 15, 1999)
- Russia Dusts Off Nuclear Plan, (by Giles Whittell, London Times, October 14, 1999)
Historical Column: On preparations of the Soviet Union to deploy R-12 (SS-4) medium range missiles in the German Democratic Republic: Time To Begin Just Did Not Come, - in Russian, (by Alexander Dolinin, Krasnaya Zvezda, October 16, 1999, p. 2)
- NATO's Nuclear Weapons: The Rationale for 'No First Use', (by Jack Mendelsohn)
- Little Progress Made at START/ABM Talks, (by Craig Cerniello)
- Chinese Strategic Plans Move Forward With Missile Test, (by Howard Diamond)
- Pakistan's Road To a Minimum Nuclear Deterrent, (by Farah Zhara)
- India Releases Nuclear Doctrine, Looks to Emulate P-5 Arsenals, (by Howard Diamond)
October 14, 1999
The U.S. Senate Wednesday evening rejected ratification of the CTBT on a mainly party-line vote. This is a major defeat of nuclear non-proliferation and arms control regime.
- Senate Kills Test Ban Treaty in Crushing Loss for Clinton, (by Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, October 14, 1999)
- Analysis: For U.S., Fallout Will Be Fading Influence, (by Steven Mufson, The Washington Post, Sunday, October 14, 1999; Page A1)
October 10, 1999
Our recent press-release On U.S.-Russian Discussions On ABM Treaty Modification, (in Russian) has been published in Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye weekly newspaper (N 39, October 8-14, 1999, p. 6). See also:
- The System Of Strategic Stability Will Fail, - in Russian (by Sergei Sokut, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, N 39, October 8-14, 1999, p. 1,3) - an interview with Colonel-General Vladimir Yakovlev, Commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces
- An Attack At All Fronts , - in Russian (by Sergei Sokut, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, N 39, October 8-14, 1999, p. 6); The United States Begin to Build a "Great American Wall", - in Russian (by Sergei Sokut, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 5, 1999)
- The United States Pull Out Of the ABM Treaty (Kommersant-Daily, October 6, p.2)
- "The Hawk" Took Off - the Nuclear Pact Cracked, (Rossiiskaya Gazeta, October 6, 1999)
- Russia Warns U.S. of Arms Race, (by Associated Press, Tuesday, Oct. 5, 1999; 11:18 a.m. EDT)
- Cohen Sees Russia, U.S. Allies As Hurdles To A Missile Defense, (by Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, October 5, 1999, p.1)
- Cohen Welcomes Test Of Missile Defense, (by Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, October 4, 1999, p.1)
- Frowns From Abroad, Fallout From US Antimissile Success, (by Jonathan S. Landay, The Christian Science Monitor, October 4, 1999)
- Ballistic Missile Defense: First Key Intercept Test Scheduled For October 2, (by John Isaacs, Council for a Livable World Education Fund Point Paper, October 1, 1999)
- A Rush to Deployment, (by David Isenberg, September 23, 1999)
- A Russian Re-Evaluation of the ABM Treaty? Implications for US-Russia Relations and Arms Control in Asia, (by Anupam Srivastava, Disarmament Diplomacy, Issue No 39, July/August 1999)
The non-proliferation regime is in danger. Acknowledging that he lacks the votes to approve a treaty banning nuclear testing, President Clinton pleaded with Senate leaders on Friday to delay action. But he refused to give in to a Republican demand that he withdraw the treaty, and thus concede that it will not be enacted while he is in the White House. The latest news and details on CTBT debates in the United States can be found at the web site of The Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers. See also:
The Russian government is finalizing a set of documents needed to present a global nuclear test ban treaty for ratification in parliament, Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimir Rakhmanin said on Thursday (Kremlin Says Wants Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Ratified, by Reuters, Russia Today, October 7, 1999)
- Fears of 50's Stalk Senate, (by Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, October 10, 1999) - there are links to previous reports of this week on CTBT ratification developments at this page
- False Fears About a Test Ban, (by Ray Kidder, Lynn Sykes and Frank von Hippel, The Washington Post, Sunday, October 10, 1999; Page B07)
- Washington War of Words on Policing Nuclear Tests, (by William J. Broad, The New York Times, October 10, 1999)
- Some Have Not Stopped Loving the Nuclear Bomb, - in Russian, (by Malor Sturua, Izvestiya, October 9, 1999, p.3)
- U.S. Allies Urge Senate To Ratify Test Ban, (by William Drozdiak, The Washington Post, Friday, October 8, 1999; Page A01)
- Testing Under the Test Ban. Can U.S. Rely On 'Subcritical' Methods Alone?, (by Walter Pincus, The Washington Post, Friday, October 8, 1999; Page A03)
- A Loophole For Nuclear Tests, - in Russian, (by Dmitri Gornostayev, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 7, 1999)
- The U.S. Senate Will Consider The "Explosive Question", - in Russian, (by Vladimir Abarinov, Izvestiya, October 9, 1999, p. 3)
In the letter to Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, Yeltsin said Russia was making "considerable efforts" for the prompt ratification of START II, which has been stalled in the Russian parliament, according to presidential spokesman Dmitry Yakushkin, (Russia Pushing for START II Treaty, by Nick Wadhams, Associated Press, Friday, Oct. 8, 1999; 12:02 p.m. EDT).
As well as the current military doctrine the draft of the new document notes that "the Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of nuclear or other mass destruction weapons against it or its allies and also in response to large-scale aggression involving conventional arms in situations critical for the national security of Russia and its allies. Colonel-General Valeri Manilov, the First Deputy Chief Of General Staff, discusses the main provisions of the new doctrine in an interview to Krasnaya Zvezda: New Military Doctrine - An Adequate Answer To Current Challenges, - in Russian, (by Oleg Falichev, Krasnaya Zvezda, October 8, 1999, p. 1). See also a paper of Nikolai Mikhailov, Professor Of Academy Of Military Sciences At The Threshold Of XXI-st Century Challenges, - in Russian, (Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, N 39, October 8-14, 1999, p. 1,4).
Current status and future of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces - in the following press reports:
Colonel-General Viktor Smirnov, Deputy Chief Of Staff Of the Strategic Rocket Forces, describes current state of the Russian Early Warning System (EWS): Does Russia Have Eyes At Space?, - in Russian, (by Ilshat Baichurin and Alexandr Dolinin, Krasnaya Zvezda, October 8, 1999). See also our special section on Russian EWS.
- There Is No Way Back. Russian Strategic "Topols" Will Not Come Back To Byelorussia, - in Russian, (by Yuri Golotyk, Izvestiya, October 9, 1999, p. 2)
- Russia To Deploy 10 More Missiles, (by Associated Press, Friday, Oct. 8, 1999; 10:44 a.m. EDT)
- The Launch Fifteen Years After, - in Russian, (by Ilshat Baichurin, Krasnaya Zvezda, October 5, 1999, p. 1)
The joint programs of the U.S. DoE and Russian Minatom raise questions both in the U.S. and Russia:
- Nuclear Safeguards in Russia, (by Todd Perry and Jon B. Wolfsthal, The Washington Post, Saturday, October 9, 1999; Page A22)
- Nuclear Feeling - A Profit. Russian Nuclear Physicists Will Try To Make Money On American Fears, - in Russian, (by Maria Ignatova, Izvestiya, October 6, 1999, p.4)
- Perhaps, Everything Is Ready For The Second Round Of The "Russia Gate" Scandal, - in Russian, (by Andrei Vaganov, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 5, 1999)
October 4, 1999
Paul Podvig's comment: On Modification Of the ABM Treaty, - in Russian, October 4, 1999The test interceptor successfully hit the target about 140 miles above the central Pacific Ocean Saturday night. The test involved higher altitudes and missile speeds at least three times faster than earlier intercepts this year by two Army prototypes -- the Patriot 3 and the Theater High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD (Anti-Missile Test Marks a Measured Step Interceptor's Reliability Still in Question, by Bradley Graham, The Washington Post, Monday, October 4, 1999; Page A01).
Senate leaders agreed to begin debate next Friday on a landmark treaty banning nuclear testing. The Senate majority leader, Trent Lott, R-Miss., and his Democratic counterpart, Thomas Daschle of South Dakota, agreed to begin 14 hours of general debate on Oct. 8 and resume on Oct. 12, with a vote taking place that day or soon thereafter. Lott had originally offered to start the debate on Oct. 6, but Democrats balked. Senate Republicans expressed confidence Friday that they have more than 40 "hard" votes in their ranks against the treaty, more than the 34 necessary to block ratification of one of President Clinton's top foreign policy goals. (Senate Will Debate Treaty Banning Nuclear Testing, by Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, October 2, 1999).
In a new assessment of its capabilities, the Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that it cannot monitor low-level nuclear tests by Russia precisely enough to ensure compliance with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty adding a new argument to the Treaty opponents in the U.S. (CIA Unable To Precisely Track Testing. Analysis of Russian Compliance With Nuclear Treaty Hampered, by Roberto Suro, The Washington Post, Sunday, October 3, 1999; Page A01)
At the talks this weekend in Moscow, the United States Energy Secretary, Bill Richardson, said in an interview that he had proposed several measures to strengthen monitoring under the pact, including visits by American experts to the closed Russian nuclear test site at Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic. Yevgeny O. Adamov, the Minister of Atomic Energy, said in a separate interview that he was willing to open talks on the proposals. But he also insisted that such measures should be part of a package deal that would also include such cooperation as access to American supercomputers in order to help Russia maintain a safe, reliable nuclear arsenal (U.S. and Russia to Seek New Ways to Monitor Nuclear Test Ban Pact, by Michael R. Gordon and Judith Miller, The New York Times, October 4, 1999).
Russia test fired ballistic missiles not only from submarines last Friday, but also a one "Topol" ICBM from Plesetsk test site (Rocketeers Verify Reliability Of the Arsenal - in Russian, by Yuri Golotyuk, Izvestiya, October 2, 1999).
The United States strengthen Russian nuclear arsenal by providing financial aid to Russia, The Washington Times stated (Russia's New Plan To Rearm, by Richard Staar, The Washington Times, September 30, 1999, Pg. 19)
October 3, 1999
"...The process of U.S.- Russian discussions on modification of the ABM Treaty of 1972 came to a dangerous line. One can expect total collapse of the whole system of control of nuclear arms created during the last decades, unless nothing is done to change current situation..." (On U.S.-Russian Discussions On ABM Treaty Modification, - in Russian, press release of the Center for Arms Control, Energy and Environmental Studies, October 3, 1999)October 1, 1999
There are still chances of START II ratification by the new State Duma: an exclusive comment by Pyotr Romashkin (a member of "Yabloko" faction staff in the State Duma): Forthcoming Elections in Russia and START II Ratification (in Russian).Colonel-General Anatoly Sitnov, Defense Ministry official, said on Tuesday Russia had at the most eight years to replace its aging nuclear arsenal before it becomes obsolete.
- Retaining Russian Defense Capability, - in Russian, (by Oleg Falichev, Krasnaya Zvezda, October 1, 1999, p. 1)
- Russian General Gives Nuclear Arsenal Eight Years, (by Reuters, Russia Today, September 28, 1999).
- Topol's Were Not Of Use In Dagestan, - in Russian, (by Vladimir Yermolin, Izvestiya, September 23, 1999, p.3)
Joshua Handler of Princeton University concludes that it is most likely that Russia will be able to maintain only 500-1,700 strategic warheads in its strategic nuclear arsenal during 2008-2013, especially if MIRVed ICBMs remain banned as they are in START II (Russia’s Nuclear and Strategic Forces in 2008-2013, paper presented at VIII International Castiglioncello Conference "New Challenges in the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction" Castiglioncello (Italy), 23-26 September 1999) - in PDF format. See also Paul Podvig's estimates of the last year.
According to AVN news agency, two Russian submarines, one - in Barents and another - in Okhotsk Sea, fired strategic missiles today. (Versions Of ICBM Disposal, - in Russian, by "AVN" Information Agency, Utro, October 1, 1999)
Experts continue discussing the ways to reduce nuclear arsenals in conditions when the United States prepares to deploy national ballistic missile defense:
- Significant Decisions. START II And START III Treaties Do Not Solve The Problems Of Strategic Stability By Themselves, - in Russian, (by Lev Volkov, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, N 38, October 1-7, 1999)
- An ABM Olive Branch, (by Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr., John B. Rhinelander, Alexander S. Yereskovsky, The Moscow Times, September 28, 1999)
- Re-START Nuclear Weapons Reductions: Strong Public Support for Deep Cuts, (by Daryl G. Kimball, Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers Issue Brief VOL. 3, NO.13, September 23, 1999)
Republican presidential candidate Elizabeth Dole said her top priority, if elected, would be development of missile defense systems for the United States and its allies. The Pentagon's Ballistic Missile Defense Organization this week is slated to conduct the first intercept test in its national missile defense (NMD) program. The launch window opens Saturday, Oct. 2
- Missile Defense System To Be Tested, (by Associated Press, September 30, 1999).
- First National Missile Defense Intercept Test Slated For This Week, (by Kerry Gildea, Aerospace Daily, September 29, 1999)
- Dole's Top Priority: Missile Defense, (By David Von Drehle, The Washington Post, Tuesday, September 28, 1999; Page A9)
"...Superiority in the air, and then, the victory will be of our potential enemy at the existing proportions of air forces between the West and Russia. In future, similar situation may occur in the East. At the time being short and medium range missiles are the only weapons capable to radically change such an imbalance...", ("Iskander-E" Attacks Competitors, - in Russian, by Sergei Sokut, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, N 38, October 1-7, 1999)
In an abrupt but calculated reversal, the Senate majority leader, Trent Lott, offered on Thursday to schedule a quick vote on a treaty banning nuclear testing, expressing confidence that Republicans have the votes to defeat one of President Clinton's top foreign policy goals. Such a step could derail the whole arms control process, (Lott Offers to Hold Hearings on Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, by Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, October 1, 1999). Details on CTBT debates in the United States can be found at the web site of The Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers.
Six of seven crisis ``hot lines'' linking leaders in Washington and Moscow could malfunction because of year-2000 glitches, but fixes are on the way. Edward Warner III, assistant secretary of defense for strategy and threat reduction testified, that the 12th Main Directorate, the arm of the Russian Defense Ministry that oversees nuclear stockpiles, has found ``significant shortfalls'' in computers used to monitor security and safety at storage sites (Senate Panel Told Of U.S. Plans To Fix Russian Year-2000 Bug, by Rowan Scarborough, The Washington Times, September 29, 1999)
General Accounting Office has published a new report: Nuclear Nonproliferation: Status of Transparency Measures for U.S. Purchase of Russian Highly Enriched Uranium (GAO, September 1999)
Russia has asked the U.S. Energy Department to expand joint projects aimed at securing dangerous materials, including nuclear fuel, that could be turned into weapons, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said Wednesday on a visit in Severomorsk, the headquarter of the Russian Northern Fleet:
- Russia Asks U.S. to Expand Joint Efforts to Safeguard Nuclear Fuel, (by Judith Miller, The New York Times, September 30, 1999)
- U.S. Energy Secretary inspects nuclear safety in Russia, (by Thomas Nielsen, Bellona, September 29, 1999)
In the worst accident in Japan's history with nuclear power, an out-of-control chain reaction Thursday at a fuel plant 87 miles northwest of Tokyo spewed high levels of radiation into the air. Thirty-five people were exposed, three of them seriously injured, and 300,000 residents were ordered to stay indoors:
- Japanese Fuel Plant Spews Radiation After Accident, (by Howard W. French, The New York Times, October 1, 1999)
- A Flash, and an Uncontrolled Chain Reaction, (by John Noble Wileford and Matthew L. Wald, The New York Times, October 1, 1999)
Nuclear explosion took place in the spring of 1971 in Moscow at the territory of current "Kurchatov Institute" Research Center. Nobody of outsiders noticed that accident (Atom Just Pretended To Be Peaceful, - in Russian, by Vladimir Pokrovski, Obschaya Gazeta, September 30 - October 6, 1999).
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