Voice of America 5/14/97
SENATE/ CFE TREATY
BYLINE=DAVID SWAN
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE U-S SENATE HAS UNANIMOUSLY
RATIFIED A SET OF POST-COLD WAR
CHANGES TO THE TREATY ON CONVENTIONAL
ARMED FORCES IN EUROPE. V-O-A'S DAVID
SWAN REPORTS, THE MODIFIED C-F-E ACCORD
DREW LITTLE ATTENTION ON CAPITOL HILL.
TEXT: WITH A RELATIVELY BRIEF DEBATE
(WEDNESDAY), SENATORS APPROVED THE
AMENDMENTS NEGOTIATED LAST YEAR.
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
JESSE HELMS, WHO RECENTLY LED THE
CHARGE AGAINST THE GLOBAL CHEMICAL
WEAPONS TREATY, WAS SUPPORTIVE THIS
TIME.
// HELMS ACT //
BUT WHEN A TREATY SERVES THE NATION'S
INTERESTS, IF IT IS VERIFIABLE AND IF THE
RESOLUTION OF RATIFICATION ENSURES
THE INTEGRITY OF THESE TWO POINTS FOR
THE LIFE OF THE TREATY I WILL UNFAILINGLY
OFFER MY SUPPORT TO IT AND THAT IS WHY
I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE TREATY BEFORE US
TODAY.
// END ACT //
UNDER C-F-E, NATO AND THE OLD
WARSAW PACT HAVE PULLED BACK OR
DESTROYED SOME 53-THOUSAND TANKS,
ARMORED VEHICLES, ARTILLERY AND
AIRCRAFT. BUT WHEN FIGHTING BROKE
OUT IN CHECHNYA AND ELSEWHERE
IN THE CAUCASUS, RUSSIA CHARGED
THE TREATY NO LONGER FIT THE
REALITY. UKRAINE ALSO WANTED
CHANGES.
AS A RESULT, THE AREAS COVERED BY
C-F-E WERE REDRAWN AND MADE
SMALLER. THE DEAL DOES NOT
AFFECT THE TREATY'S NUMERICAL
LIMITS ON WEAPONS.
// REST OPTIONAL FOR LONG //
A NUMBER OF SENATORS SAY RUSSIA STILL
HAS TOO MUCH LEVERAGE IN THE CAUCASUS.
SOME SUGGEST THE C-F-E CHANGES WERE
DESIGNED TO WIN MOSCOW'S CONSENT TO
NATO EXPANSION. BUT IN THE END,
LAWMAKERS AGREED THE PACT SHOULD
BE ADAPTED TO THE MODERN WORLD.
AND REPUBLICANS ATTACHED CONDITIONS --
WHICH ACCORDING TO MAJORITY LEADER
TRENT LOTT SHOULD HELP PROTECT RUSSIA'S
NEIGHBORS.
// LOTT ACT //
THE RESOLUTION PLACES STRICT LIMITS
ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S RUSSIAN POLICY.
IT ENSURES THAT WE WILL BE ON THE SIDE
OF THE VICTIMS OF RUSSIAN INTIMIDATION
AND THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL STAND UP
FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF STATES ON RUSSIA'S
BORDERS.
// END ACT //
THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL CONDITION
REQUIRES THE WHITE HOUSE TO LET
THE SENATE VOTE ON A DIFFERENT ISSUE --
WHETHER THE 1972 ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE
TREATY COVERS ALL THE SOVIET UNION'S
SUCCESSOR STATES. THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION HAD NOT WANTED TO
SUBMIT THAT QUESTION FOR RATIFICATION,
BUT WENT ALONG. (SIGNED)
NEB/DS/LWM
14-May-97 7:18 PM EDT (2318 UTC)
NNNN
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