DATE=10/4/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON-TEST BAN (L)
NUMBER=2-254645
BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

Intro:  President Clinton is launching a last-minute 
-- and admittedly uphill -- fight to try to win 
ratification of the global nuclear test-ban treaty, 
which comes up for a vote in the U-S Senate next week.  
V-O-A's David Gollust reports from the White House.

TEXT:  White House officials are irate over what they 
say is an effort by Republicans to "short-circuit" the 
legislative process by suddenly moving the treaty to a 
vote.  But they say President Clinton has  not  given 
up on ratification, and will be making public and 
private appeals to Senators in advance of the October 
12th vote.

Senate Republican leaders say that renouncing nuclear 
tests amounts to unilateral disarmament by the United 
States, at a time when various rogue states are 
pursuing a nuclear capability, and China -- perhaps 
with stolen U-S technology -- is improving its nuclear 
forces.

But Clinton spokesman Joe Lockhart says testing is 
essential to force-modernization, and as a test-ban 
signatory, China, among others, would be denied the 
means to perfect new weapons:

            /// LOCKHART ACT ///

      China has  not  tested since they signed [the 
      Treaty] in 1996.  They and many other countries 
      are looking to the United States to see whether 
      we will ratify.  We will live in a safer world 
      if the Senate does the right thing and ratifies 
      this treaty.

            /// END ACT ///

Mr. Lockhart says the Administration says has  no  
evidence to support published charges that Russia, in 
contravention of test-ban obligations, has been 
secretly conducting low-yield nuclear explosions.

However, he says if Russia has engaged in such 
activity, implementation of the test ban treaty would 
make it harder to do, since it provides for monitoring 
stations around the world and on-site inspections of 
suspected test locations.

The United States signed the test-ban treaty in 1996, 
but the document languished in the Senate until a 
surprise decision last week by Senate Majority Trent 
Lott to send it to the floor for a vote -- action the 
White House says precludes adequate hearings and 
debate.   (Signed)

NEB/DAG/TVM/WTW



04-Oct-1999 15:32 PM EDT (04-Oct-1999 1932 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.