Close the Verification Gap

As of August 9th, It's been 247 days since the U.S. and Russia last were able to inspect each other's strategic nuclear arsenals under the provisions of the now-lapsed START I treaty.  Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association - a Ploughshares grantee -  wrote in the Moscow Times that the New START treaty should be quickly ratified by the U.S. and Russia so that both countries can gain the security benefits provided by the treaty's updated verifications system.

Kimball said, "New START would provide a more streamlined, cost-effective set of verification procedures based on the original START. It would also add new innovations — including direct monitoring of actual deployed nuclear warheads — that are better suited to provide high confidence that each side complies with the new treaty."

Responding to recent reports about compliance with past treaties, Kimball argued that such reports are misleading, as most compliance issues have been settled and both the U.S. and Russia are in compliance with the central limits of the previous treaty.

Kimball concluded:

"New START and its verification system are essential for building trust and confidence that Washington and Moscow will continue to meet their commitment to reduce excess strategic nuclear weapons and lower the nuclear threat. It is essential that both countries approve the treaty without delay."

The Moscow Times