U.S. Will Study Russian Missile Defense Proposals

 

 By Jim Garamone
 
American Forces Press Service


 BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 7, 2000 -- Russian leaders agreeing 
 there is a threat of missile attack from rogue states marks 
 a �significant change in the attitude and understanding� of 
 the U.S. push for a national missile defense, Defense 
 Secretary William S. Cohen said.
 
 Cohen, speaking en route to NATO meetings here, said he 
 would discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin�s proposals 
 with the NATO allies.
 
 �Just a few weeks ago, [the Russian] officials' position 
 was that there is no threat, or that the threat was largely 
 exaggerated,� Cohen said. �From what I have read, the 
 Russian president now believes there is a threat.� Cohen is 
 due to meet Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev at the 
 NATO meetings and then travel to Moscow for bilateral 
 meetings with his counterpart.
 
 Cohen said Putin�s proposal for an alternative missile 
 defense program is vague. �The devils are always in the 
 details,� he said. He said the Russian idea could be a 
 constructive proposal, �but it could be a tactic to divide 
 the European members of NATO from the United States.�
 
 He said the United States would look at exactly what Putin 
 has proposed before making an assessment. 
 
 The United States has proposed a limited National Missile 
 Defense program that would counter threats from rogue 
 states with a small number of ICBMs. It has sought to amend 
 the 1972 Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty with the former 
 Soviet Union in order to build that defense system. U.S. 
 officials have repeatedly stated the program in no way is 
 aimed at countering Russia�s nuclear arsenal.