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.