Bush favours national missile defence system

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, MAY 24. At a time when the Clinton administration is desperate in rounding up votes today in the House of Representatives on the crucial China Permanent Normal Trading Relations, it is being pressured on the Russian flank as well. In a speech and remarks here, the Republican presumptive nominee, Mr. George W. Bush called for cuts in the nuclear arsenal while at the same time push for a far more robust and comprehensive national missile defence system.

Mr. Bush was essentially sending a message to the President, Mr. Bill Clinton, urging him not to strike any deal with the Russians while on the last legs of his tenure in office. ``The administration is driving toward a hasty decision on a political timetable,'' Mr. Bush remarked, going on to stress that no decision on a national missile defence would be better than a ``flawed agreement'' that would tie the hands of the next President.

The remarks of Mr. Bush is seen in some quarters as yet another attempt on the part of the Republicans to bring pressure on Mr. Clinton against any deal with the Russians involving cuts in the nuclear arsenal and on a national missile defence system. Moscow has recently suggested that the present arsenals could be reduced to about 1500 warheads, a figure the American military is very uncomfortable with. Congressional leaders have been informed that the U.S. needs to maintain at least 2000-2500 warheads.

The Texas Governor once again argued that it was time to put aside the Cold War mentality and that his administration would reassess the American security needs that would factor in the nuclear threat from terrorists and rogue nations. In a speech that was short on specifics, Mr. Bush said he was for ``significantly further'' cuts in nuclear weapons arsenals.

The GOP presumptive nominee for the November Presidential election argued that he would urge the Russians to follow the lead of the U.S. but that he would reduce the American arsenal even if Russia did not oblige. ``Hopefully they will. But if they don't, the level of nuclear readiness is going to meet our needs. I will never put our security at risk,'' the Texas Governor said here.

Flanked by former senior officials of Republican administrations such as Mr. Brent Scowcroft, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Mr. George Shultz and the retired Gen. Colin Powell, Mr. Bush made the case for a strong national missile defence system that would protect ``all'' 50 states of the U.S., friends and allies from attacks by rogue nations or accidental launches. The Texas Governor, however, did not put a price tag on this defence system which is seen in some quarters as being as esoteric as Preident Ronald Reagan's ``Star Wars.''

Moscow has made it plain that any development of a national missile defence system would be in violation of the 1972 ABM Treaty which is one reason why the Clinton administration is pushing for a more restrictive system that would have about 100 interceptor missiles and gradually increasing that up to 250. The price tag for this is put at around $60 billions. The Russians have rejected even this proposal.

The Texas Governor may have been short on details of his plans, be it on the cuts in strategic arsenals or the missile defence system, but he did not go to the extent of saying that his administration would go ahead with the National Missile Defence even if the Russians object.

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Section  : International
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