DATE=04/30/2002

TYPE=EDITORIAL

NUMBER=0-09855

TITLE=EDITORIAL: THE U.S. AND RUSSIA

INTERNET=Yes

CONTENT=THIS EDITORIAL IS BEING RELEASED FOR USE BY ALL SERVICES.

Anncr: Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government:

Voice: Since September 11th, Russia has been a key member of the worldwide anti-terrorist coalition. Russia has played a crucial role in the successful military campaign in Afghanistan by providing intelligence and forces in support of the decision by Central Asian states to host United States troops. "As a result," said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, "we have seriously eroded the capabilities of a terrorist network [al-Qaida] that posed a direct threat to both of our countries."

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon demonstrated that today's threats are far different from those of the Cold War. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union deployed thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at the U.S. Today, the Soviet Union no longer exists, and Russia is not an enemy. But there are new threats. Principal among these is the use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists and rogue states.

The U.S. must develop means to deter or protect against this threat, including a defense of U.S. territory against ballistic missile attack. Under the now outdated 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty, the U.S. was prohibited from constructing a national missile defense. As a result, in December, the U.S. announced its intention to withdraw from the A-B-M Treaty.

While the U.S. and Russia "agreed to disagree" on the A-B-M treaty, cooperation continues on a range of other issues. In fact, Russia's announcement of nuclear weapons reductions and its commitment to continue close consultations with the U.S. reflect a desire to continue building a new strategic relationship.

The U.S., too, has pledged to reduce its arsenal of nuclear weapons. "This," said U.S. Secretary of State Powell "is all part of the new strategic framework with Russia." The U.S. and Russia are working on a legally binding agreement to codify their relations.

The U.S. is also reaching agreement on how NATO can better cooperate with Russia. This new decision-making relationship will provide a mechanism for consultations, joint decisions, and joint actions.

As Secretary of State Powell said, "the way we handled the war on terrorism, the A-B-M treaty, nuclear reductions, and NATO is reflective of the way we will be working with Russia in the future."

Anncr: That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20237, U-S-A. You may also comment at www-dot-ibb-dot-gov-slash-editorials, or fax us at (202) 619-1043.