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[EXCERPTS] OPENING STATEMENT
SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT
BEFORE THE HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
February 11, 1997

Leadership to Control Deadly Arms

Mr. Chairman, with American leadership, the world has made important progress in controlling nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. The hands of the doomsday clock, once so close to midnight, have retreated. For the first time since the beginning of the nuclear age, no Russian missiles are pointed at the United States, and no American missiles are pointed at Russia. Nuclear weapons have been removed from Belarus, Kazakstan and Ukraine. Iraq's nuclear capability has been dismantled, and North Korea's frozen. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been extended indefinitely and unconditionally, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty has been approved.

Despite these advances, the threat is far from over. That is why arms control and non-proliferation remain a fundamental part of our foreign policy framework, and why our continued support of ACDA and the IAEA remains an important part of our budget.

Our most immediate arms control imperative is to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention, or CWC, before it enters into force in late April. As you know, the CWC was negotiated by the Reagan and Bush administrations, and signed in January 1993 by Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger. It enjoys wide support among our two parties, military leaders and the business community. Like any arms control agreement, the CWC is not a panacea. But it will be a powerful tool in preventing those hostile to our interests from developing or obtaining chemical weapons. Approval of the Convention would make all our people safer, while making it less likely that our armed forces will encounter chemical weapons on the battlefield.

We have several other priorities as well. We will seek the Senate's swift approval of the CFE Flank Agreement, which will fortify the CFE Treaty and thereby enhance European security. We will be working with Russia to secure the Duma's early ratification of the START II Treaty and then begin negotiations for further reductions in our nuclear arsenals. And we will continue our pursuit of a global agreement to ban the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.

Finally, we are taking important measures in addition to the CWC that are designed to prevent weapons of mass destruction from being obtained by those who might be tempted to use them. We are working to improve the security and prevent the diversion of fissile materials. We have convinced the other 32 major arms suppliers in the Wassenaar Arrangement not to trade in arms or sensitive technologies with Iran and other countries who have a proven disregard for international standards. And we are insisting on the maintenance of tough sanctions on Iraq unless and until it complies with relevant Security Council resolutions.