April 14, 2000

FACT SHEET

                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary
                            (Atlanta, Georgia)
         ________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                    April 14, 2000


                                FACT SHEET

                          START II Treaty Summary


The START II Treaty and the START II Protocol will increase stability at
significantly lower levels of nuclear weapons.  Together, U.S. and Russian
strategic nuclear forces will be reduced by an additional 5,000 warheads
beyond the 9,000 warheads being reduced under START I.  The Treaty sets
equal ceilings on the number of strategic nuclear weapons that can be
deployed by either side.

?    By December 31, 2007, each side must have reduced its total deployed
strategic nuclear warheads to 3,000-3,500.

?    All MIRVed ICBMs must be eliminated from each side's deployed forces;
only ICBMs carrying a single warhead will be allowed.

?    The U.S. and Russia have also agreed to deactivate by December 31,
2003, all strategic nuclear delivery vehicles which under the START II
Treaty and Protocol will be eliminated by December 31, 2007.

?    No more than 1,700-1,750 deployed warheads may be on SLBMs.  There is
no prohibition on MIRVed SLBMs.

?    The Treaty allows for a reduction in the number of warheads on certain
ballistic missiles.  Such "downloading" is permitted in a carefully
constructed fashion.

?    Under START II, the Russians have agreed to eliminate all   SS-18
missiles, both deployed and non-deployed.  This fully achieves a
long-standing U.S. goal, the complete elimination of MIRVed heavy ICBMs.

?    Under START II, heavy bombers will be counted using the number of
nuclear weapons -- whether long-range nuclear ALCMs, short-range missiles
or gravity bombs -- for which they are actually equipped.

The comprehensive START I verification regime will apply to the START II
Treaty and will be augmented in certain areas.


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