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A newly-formed organization called the "Consensus for American Security" has written an open letter to Senators Reid and McConnell, asking them to pass the New START arms control treaty before the end of the year. This letter has more than 40 signatures on it, including some very well-known and distinguished hawks.
Dear Senator Reid and Senator McConnell:
As retired military officers and national security experts who have spent our careers dedicated to protecting the security of the United States, we respectfully request you commit to a full Senate vote on ratification of the New START Treaty before the end of this year.
Building on the vision of previous presidents from both parties, New START allows us to invest in the nuclear security priorities necessary to confront the threats of today and tomorrow. The treaty offers a streamlined and modern verification system that demands quicker and more transparent inspections and information exchanges, bringing new weight to "trust but verify." With New START in force, America will be safer.
Currently, we have no verification regime to account for Russia's strategic nuclear weapons. Two hundred and ninety seven (297) days have elapsed since American teams have been allowed to inspect Russian nuclear forces, and we are concerned that further inaction will bring unacceptable lapses in U.S. intelligence about Russia's strategic arsenal. Without New START, we believe that the United States is less secure.
As part of the vast consensus of national security professionals who have endorsed New START, we respectfully call on the Senate to ratify the New START Treaty in 2010.
Sincerely,
The Consensus for American Security
Nice touch, throwing in that "trust but verify" tag line of Ronald Reagan. Of course, the Republican senators will ignore any reference to this letter, because they aren't really interested in the professional opinions of "retired military officers and national security experts who have spent our careers dedicated to protecting the security of the United States." No, it's more important to embarrass and bring down President Obama's administration through continued obstructions than it is to address critical national security legislation.
