BACKGROUND: The week of July 23, 2001 the Bush Administration announced that U.S. missile defense research and development (R&D) activities over the next several months will likely bring the U.S. out of compliance with the ABM treaty. The administration indicated that it hopes the Russians will agree to abandon the treaty with the U.S., but that the administration plans to move ahead aggressively with its missile defense program whether the Russians agree or not. The administration wants to complete construction of a missile defense interceptor site at Fort Greeley, Alaska by 2004. It plans to begin clearing trees at the site this fall (which would not violate the ABM treaty), and it would begin pouring concrete next spring (which would violate the treaty). The treaty requires the U.S. or Russia give 6 months formal notice to the other party before withdrawing from the treaty. However, the Bush administration has not yet given this notice to the Russians.

It is uncertain how the Russians will respond. Last week, following the meeting between Presidents Bush and Putin, the Russians indicated they would be willing to negotiate a new agreement on missile defenses. However, the Bush administration indicated that it had no interest in revising the treaty or negotiating a new formal agreement. Instead, the administration is seeking to continue high level consultations with Russia through which they hope to achieve informal agreement that both countries will simply withdraw from the treaty.

The administration is proposing to expedite deployment of a missile defense system and expand research and development despite serious questions about the justification, efficacy, cost, and reliability of such a system.

WAND

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