New START: Trust but Clarify, New START: Don’t Shake the Tree If the Fruit Ain’t Ripe

In a blog posting for the National Review Online, NPEC's executive director asserts that critics of the New START treaty need to get on with the business of identifying the key amendments, reservations, understandings, and declarations, if any, they think the Senate should consider while its supporters need to stop pushing for instant ratification and allow access to information that both sides need to understand the treaty's full implications. In a follow up piece, "New START: Don't Shake the Tree If the Fruit Ain't Ripe," he compares previous arms control treaty ratification efforts with New START and concludes that even with ratification as late as February, it would be relatively quick. In addition, he reiterates that in order to get overwhelming Senate support, the treaty's negotiating record should be released in classified form. This last point was also highlighted in a recent article published by The Christian Science Monitor.