posted 07-24- 07:29 PM               

Tuesday July 24 2:33 PM ET

Leader: Russia May Weigh ABM Changes

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's defense minister said Tuesday that Moscow would consider making changes to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, signaling an apparent softening of Russia's opposition to U.S. plans to build a national missile defense system.

The statement by Sergei Ivanov - President Vladimir Putin's right-hand man - came a day before President Bush's national security adviser was to arrive in Moscow for talks building on a new security initiative. Condoleezza Rice was scheduled to meet with Ivanov on Wednesday and Putin on Thursday.

Bush and Putin announced Sunday in Genoa, Italy, that the United States and Russia would link talks on missile defense with discussions on reducing both sides' strategic weapons.

That unexpected announcement was seen as an indication that Washington and Moscow were moving closer in their long and intense dispute over U.S. proposals for a missile defense system, which would violate the terms of the 1972 ABM treaty that Russia says is a keystone of global security.

Putin said on Monday that the linkage did not mean Russia was backing off and said both leaders had reaffirmed their adherence to the treaty.

But Ivanov, one of Putin's closest political associates, said on Tuesday ``If the experts come to the conclusion that some changes in the treaty won't harm the national security of Russia, then I will report that to the president,'' according to the Interfax news agency.

The ABM treaty allows each country only one limited missile-defense system, on the premise that neither country would launch a nuclear first strike if it cannot protect itself from retaliation. Russia says abandoning the treaty would spark a new nuclear arms race.

Such an arms race would be economic ``suicide'' for struggling Russia, Ivanov was quoted as saying.

The United States argues that it needs a national missile-defense to protect itself against possible attacks by small ``rogue nations'' that are believed to be developing nuclear weapons.

Russia had dismissed that argument, but Ivanov was quoted as saying Tuesday that Russia has developed its own list of ``rogue countries.''

``The United States knows about it. And our list is no less justified,'' he said according to Interfax.

U.S. advocates of the national system have mentioned North Korea and Iraq as two countries of concern, but Ivanov downplayed concerns about both of them.

``There is a certain way to fend off threats that may come from Pyongyang (North Korea) and as for Iraq, that's just not serious,'' he said. Under Putin, Russia has actively pursued relations with both North Korea and Iraq.

Ivanov said the ``rogue nations'' on the Kremlin's list were unspecified nations ``south of Russia'' and said those countries actually posed more of a threat to Russia than to the United States on the grounds that they apparently could develop only medium-range missiles.

Putin has said that if the United States goes ahead with the new missile defense system, Russia would consider tearing up all arms-control agreements and consider putting multiple warheads on missiles that now carry just single warheads.

But despite such warnings and its repeated insistence on preserving the ABM, Russia has had little success in marshaling other countries behind its cause.

posted 07-25- 06:47 PM               

We are now in Cold War II. Accept this. This time it is US against everyone, all past alliances are tenuous. We will define ourselves by our friendships with other nations. Friendly nations will be protected by our missile defense systems.

What better way to protect ourselves than to deploy a missile defense system in Russia? We'll prevent Russia from being attacked by other nations while also being able to knockout "accidental" launches early in flight. Considering Russia's current domestic situation (I was there in '96), this would be a good thing.

posted 07-25- 09:46 PM               

Yes, I know... that's why I said, "You are making a huge leap IF you think that means "Russia agrees with Bush on missile defense"... keyword "if".

>Am I talking too fast for you?

No, but I think you are perhaps reading too fast