ACCESSION NUMBER:380450
FILE ID:PO3406
1ATE:02/23/95
TITLE:NEW U.S. ARMS TRANSFER POLICY GOVERNED BY RIGID GUIDELINES (02/23/95)
TEXT:*95022306.PO3
NEW U.S. ARMS TRANSFER POLICY GOVERNED BY RIGID GUIDELINES
(ACDA head explains guidelines for CAT policy) (730)
By Jacquelyn S. Porth
USIA Security Affairs Writer
Washington -- Proposed arms transfers under the new U.S. Conventional Arms
Transfer (CAT) policy will be subjected to "an undiluted arms control
evaluation," says John Holum, director of the U.S. Arms Control and
Disarmament Agency (ACDA).
"We will recommend denial of transfers that would adversely affect the arms
control and non-proliferation interests of the United States," he said
February 23 during testimony before the House Subcommittee on International
Operations and Human Rights.
Holum said ACDA "played an integral part in the development" of the Clinton
administration's CAT policy, which he explained "emphasizes multilateral
restraint, continues support for transfers that serve U.S. interests and
sets forth criteria for case-by-case decision making on U.S. arms exports."
The policy has "a great deal of continuity" with the previous one, he
said.
In a prepared statement submitted for the record, Holum said the CAT policy
emphasizes the following arms control and non-proliferation objectives:
-- Preserve regional military balances, prevent proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction, promote peaceful conflict resolution and support regional
stability;
-- Maximize transparency, responsibility, and restraint wherever possible;
-- Expand and increase participation in the United Nations Register of
Conventional Arms, and support similar regional initiatives;
-- Continue strong U.S. support for regional arms control,
confidence-building and defense conversion efforts;
-- Pursue multilateral restraint by completing a post-COCOM (Coordinating
Committee for Multilateral Export Controls) arms export regime; and
-- Maintain unilateral arms export restraints in a number of areas.
On arms control implementation issues, Holum said it is important to
"sustain the benefits of older agreements like the NPT (Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty), INF (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces), CFE
(Conventional Armed Forces in Europe), (and) ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile)
Treaties, while bringing on-line new agreements like START (Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty), START II, the CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention) and Open
Skies and planning for new agreements now in process, such as the
Comprehensive Test Ban and fissile material cut off."
He said it is now time to "harvest" the benefits of many arms control
agreements and "take down weapons that were or could be aimed at us or our
allies and friends." The promise of arms control, Holum said, cannot be
"fulfilled until agreed reductions are verifiably made."
"This is a decisive time for strategic arms control," with the
implementation of START and a mandate for early ratification of the second
START treaty, he said. Once those priorities are accomplished, he added,
the presidents of the United States and Russia have "instructed their
experts to intensify their dialogue on the possibility of further limits on
remaining nuclear forces."
Holum appeared before the subcommittee in connection with the
administration's request for just over $76 million dollars for ACDA's
Fiscal Year 1996 budget.
1
Contending that the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty must "be made
permanent" because it "works," Holum noted that the fate of the accord will
be decided this spring during the 25th year NPT review and extension
conference. The treaty has never been more important, he said. "With
access to technology waxing, Cold War disciplines waning, and rogue regimes
hungering for nuclear arms," the NPT is the "biggest, single reason why
there are not scores of nations armed with nuclear weapons -- as many
(people) in the past projected there would be by now."
Asked about the U.S.-North Korean nuclear agreement, Holum described it as a
"sound agreement" which "is in our interests."
He expressed "very deep concern" when asked about Russian plans to help Iran
acquire nuclear reactors. "We are strongly encouraging all countries to
forego any nuclear trade with Iran," Holum added.
Commenting on efforts to merge ACDA into the State Department, Holum
defended his role as the principal adviser to the president, secretary of
state, and National Security Council on matters relating to arms control,
disarmament and non-proliferation.
Recalling former State Department Inspector General Sherman Funk's
endorsement of a continued independent existence for ACDA, subcommittee
member Tom Lantos said: "The long-term interests of the United States
would...be better served by an advocate -- an independent watchdog, if you
will -- for non-proliferation." The congressman said nothing has changed
since Funk made that assessment two years ago.
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