[Via Communist Internet... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: Miroslav Antic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: NATO <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; NSP <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Sorabia@Yahoogroups. Com <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; News <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; SNN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; BALKAN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; YAHOO <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 11:55 PM Subject: Putin Says Russia Would Counter U.S. Shield [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- ListBot Sponsor -------------------------- Get a low APR NextCard Visa in 30 seconds! 1. Fill in the brief application 2. Receive approval decision within 30 seconds 3. Get rates as low as 2.99% Intro or 9.99% Ongoing APR and no annual fee! Apply NOW! http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/NextCard ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Published on Tuesday, June 19, 2001 in the New York Times Putin Says Russia Would Counter U.S. Shield by Patrick E. Tyler MOSCOW, June 18 President Vladimir V. Putin said today that if the United States proceeded on its own to construct a missile defense shield over its territory and that of its allies, Russia would eventually upgrade its strategic nuclear arsenal with multiple warheads reversing an achievement of arms control in recent decades to ensure that it would be able to overwhelm such a shield. We will reinforce our capability by mounting multiple warheads on our missiles and that will cost us a meager sum. The nuclear arsenal of Russia will be augmented multifold. Vladimir Putin Mr. Putin made his comments in a meeting with American correspondents that lasted nearly three hours tonight and was organized last week to give him an opportunity to explain his views after his summit meeting with President Bush in Slovenia on Saturday. The Russian leader emphasized that though he is buoyed by Mr. Bush's pledge that Washington and Moscow will work cooperatively in coming months to investigate the full ramifications of Mr. Bush's vision for a new security framework that includes missile defenses, Russia is also very alert to unilateral American actions. And in response to comments made Sunday in Washington by Mr. Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, that the United States would proceed with missile defense with or without Russia, Mr. Putin said Russia would not threaten or try to prevent American actions, but would "augment" its nuclear forces without regard to treaties that now require the elimination of multiple warheads. "When we hear statements that the programs would go with us or without us, well, we cannot force anyone to do the things we would like them to," he said. "We offer our cooperation. We offer to work jointly. If there is no need that such joint work is needed, well, suit yourself." However, Mr. Putin added, "we stand ready" to respond to any unilateral American action, even though Russia does not see an immediate threat from a missile shield. "I am confident that at least for the coming 25 years" American missile defenses "will not cause any substantial damage to the national security of Russia," he said. But he added, "We will reinforce our capability" by "mounting multiple warheads on our missiles" and "that will cost us a meager sum." And so, he said, "the nuclear arsenal of Russia will be augmented multifold." He said both the Start I and Start II treaties would be negated by an American decision to build missile defenses in violation of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty of 1972. Such a step would eliminate verification and inspection requirements, he said, reviving an era in which Russia would hide its abilities and intentions. Mr. Putin said Russia was ready to move expeditiously on talks with Mr. Bush's top aides, but he said he believed that the two sides first needed to discuss whether serious threats actually existed or might emerge in the future, then determine what missile defense technologies might be brought to bear against them, and then determine what provisions of the ABM treaty came into conflict with such a system. Speaking in the Kremlin library at the round conference table where he met President Clinton last year, Mr. Putin also stated for the first time that Russia had taken an interest in ensuring that China's strategic concerns are addressed in the debate. China has a much smaller nuclear missile force and fears that its national nuclear deterrent would be nullified by missile defenses. "One must be very careful here," he said. "The transparency of our action is very important, lest none of the nuclear powers would feel abandoned or that two countries are making agreements behind their backs." Asked if he had made a commitment to China, he replied, "there is a commitment to preserve the balance of security that we have now in the world as a whole and in this sense, China is an important element, and not only China." Mr. Putin said the United States should bear in mind China's strong economic potential and its growing ability to respond to national security threats. He said what concerned him most was that a unilateral American deployment of missile defenses could "result in a hectic, uncontrolled arms race on the borders of our country and neighboring countries." Mr. Putin said he reported to the Chinese president, Jiang Zemin, by telephone today the results of the meeting and Mr. Bush's message about a cooperative approach to examining threats to international security. Mr. Jiang and Mr. Putin met last week in Shanghai with Central Asian leaders to form a security and trade cooperation pact. Speaking through an interpreter, Mr. Putin joked that he had tried to speak some English with Mr. Bush, but he said he feared that Mr. Bush had only pretended to understand him. He also spoke with pride about his record as a career K.G.B. officer, pointing out that former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger had once told him that "all decent people start out in intelligence," as Mr. Kissinger did. Then Mr. Putin added, referring to President Bush's father, who served as director of central intelligence, "The 41st president was not working in a laundry, he was working at the C.I.A." While Mr. Putin directed his most pointed remarks at the comments of Ms. Rice, he praised a statement by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell that the United States was not seeking the "destruction" of the ABM treaty. He said he had "taken due note" of Mr. Powell's assertion that Washington was seeking "effective but limited" defenses against potential ballistic missile threats from so- called rogue nations. In identifying with Mr. Powell's formulation, Mr. Putin appeared to be signaling a hope that the Bush administration could be persuaded to work within the ABM treaty to develop the kind of limited defense system that Russia itself proposed. Mr. Putin acknowledged that he and Mr. Bush had talked in detail about Iran, and Russia's growing arms relationship with its leaders. He said Russia had a "complex relationship" with Iran, but he praised President Mohammad Khatami as a "very moderate and very worthy partner" who was trying to bring Iran out of isolation. He said Russia was committed not to supply nuclear or ballistic missile technologies to Iran, but would continue to sell defensive arms to Tehran, and he complained that the United States was guilty of "unfair competition in the arms market" by insisting that these sales should cease. He revealed that he had provided Mr. Bush with the names of American companies who have recently been in Iran offering "large scale" cooperation, which he did not specify. Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company Published on Tuesday, June 19, 2001 in the New York Times ### Miroslav Antic, http://www.antic.org/ ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
