International Herald Tribune Editorial - Nasty, unfinished Cold War business
International Herald Tribune Editorial - Nasty, unfinished Cold War business
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: June 10, 2007
Vladimir Putin has proved again what a canny player he is, calling President George W. Bush's bluff and suggesting that parts of Bush's cherished missile defense system could be based at an old Soviet radar station in Azerbaijan or perhaps in Turkey or even Iraq. It's hard to know if the Russian president is serious or just trying to stall the effort.
Despite Bush's impatience, there's plenty of time to try to find out: The American shield and the Iranian missiles it's supposed to deflect are years away from working.
The presidents' kiss-and-make-up session shouldn't erase Putin's earlier threats that Moscow would retarget its weapons against Europe if Washington went ahead with plans to build the system there.
The mathematics of his dudgeon never added up. Ten rudimentary missile interceptors would pose no threat to the thousands of sophisticated weapons in Russia's nuclear arsenal. So if you suspect that Putin was trying to divert attention from his own multiple sins - abusing civil liberties, bludgeoning his neighbors - you're probably right. Still, his shrill posturing was an important reminder of just how much of the Cold War's nastiest business is still unfinished.
Go back to the mathematics for a moment. Nearly two decades after the Berlin Wall came down the United States and Russia together still have nearly 25,000 nuclear weapons - including 6,000 long-range weapons deployed and ready to launch. By 2012, the two sides are each supposed to cut their number of deployed weapons to around 2,000. But under the terms of the 2002 Moscow Treaty, there are no restrictions on how many weapons they can keep in reserve. Bush never wanted a binding agreement. In a particularly grudging touch, the Moscow Treaty's limits expire the day they go into effect. And since 2002, thanks to Bush, there have been no serious discussions about any further arms cuts.
The president and his aides ridicule anyone who advocates new agreements with our no-longer-enemies, the Russians, as mired in old think. There are so many things wrong with that approach that it's hard to know where to start.
Putin's posturing should first be a reminder that friendship can be fleeting. The dangers of accidental launch or theft that come with such huge arsenals are the stuff of nightmares. And then there's the whole "do as I say, not as I do" problem. Bush would have a lot more credibility when he tries to block the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea if he were championing a genuine effort to keep reducing the word's two largest arsenals rather than blocking it.
Bush has invited Putin to his family home in Kennebunkport next month. We hope the elder Bush - a real believer in that "old think" - is around. Maybe he could persuade his son to put the unfinished business of thousands of nuclear weapons where it belongs: on the top of the agenda.
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: June 10, 2007
Vladimir Putin has proved again what a canny player he is, calling President George W. Bush's bluff and suggesting that parts of Bush's cherished missile defense system could be based at an old Soviet radar station in Azerbaijan or perhaps in Turkey or even Iraq. It's hard to know if the Russian president is serious or just trying to stall the effort.
Despite Bush's impatience, there's plenty of time to try to find out: The American shield and the Iranian missiles it's supposed to deflect are years away from working.
The presidents' kiss-and-make-up session shouldn't erase Putin's earlier threats that Moscow would retarget its weapons against Europe if Washington went ahead with plans to build the system there.
The mathematics of his dudgeon never added up. Ten rudimentary missile interceptors would pose no threat to the thousands of sophisticated weapons in Russia's nuclear arsenal. So if you suspect that Putin was trying to divert attention from his own multiple sins - abusing civil liberties, bludgeoning his neighbors - you're probably right. Still, his shrill posturing was an important reminder of just how much of the Cold War's nastiest business is still unfinished.
Go back to the mathematics for a moment. Nearly two decades after the Berlin Wall came down the United States and Russia together still have nearly 25,000 nuclear weapons - including 6,000 long-range weapons deployed and ready to launch. By 2012, the two sides are each supposed to cut their number of deployed weapons to around 2,000. But under the terms of the 2002 Moscow Treaty, there are no restrictions on how many weapons they can keep in reserve. Bush never wanted a binding agreement. In a particularly grudging touch, the Moscow Treaty's limits expire the day they go into effect. And since 2002, thanks to Bush, there have been no serious discussions about any further arms cuts.
The president and his aides ridicule anyone who advocates new agreements with our no-longer-enemies, the Russians, as mired in old think. There are so many things wrong with that approach that it's hard to know where to start.
Putin's posturing should first be a reminder that friendship can be fleeting. The dangers of accidental launch or theft that come with such huge arsenals are the stuff of nightmares. And then there's the whole "do as I say, not as I do" problem. Bush would have a lot more credibility when he tries to block the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea if he were championing a genuine effort to keep reducing the word's two largest arsenals rather than blocking it.
Bush has invited Putin to his family home in Kennebunkport next month. We hope the elder Bush - a real believer in that "old think" - is around. Maybe he could persuade his son to put the unfinished business of thousands of nuclear weapons where it belongs: on the top of the agenda.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 9:24 AM
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