[The new Republican President will have his work cut out for him. I understood this was a non-binding agreement. If it commits us, where is the Senate in all this? Don't they have a say in treaties? --MS] U.S. Agrees to Total Nuclear Weapons Ban NewsMax.com Sunday May 21, 2000 The United States agreed, for the first time since the explosion of the first atomic weapon in 1945, to totally eliminate its nuclear arsenal. The sweeping U.S. policy was made Saturday when the U.S. agreed with all other members of the U.N. Security Council to the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons. The agreement had the full backing of the Clinton administration, and was endorsed by all five admitted nuclear powers -- the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robert Einhorn led the U.S. team during the final negotiations. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, elated at the agreement, declared it ``marks a significant step forward in humanity's pursuit of a more peaceful world - a world free of nuclear dangers, a world with strengthened global norms for nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.'' No date or schedule for the disarmament plans have been set. But the Clinton administration has committed the U.S. to the new agreement, a continuation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The new agreement signed Saturday demands the ``unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear-weapon states to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament.'' Other protocols will require the U.S. to: --make full disclosure of the nation's nuclear arsenal. --begin lowering the ``the operational status'' of weapons. --destroy nuclear warheads by first extracting plutonium and uranium from them. --agree to another treaty prohibiting the making of fissile materials for weapons. This latest agreement codifies Clinton administration policies that have sought to reduce and eliminate the U.S. nuclear stockpile. During the past eight years almost the entire U.S. tactical nuclear stockpile - which was estimated at approximately 10,000 weapons - has been destroyed. The administration has sought to greatly reduce the U.S. strategic nuclear stockpile, currently with 6000 warheads, to a modest 1500 warheads. Such moves have met with some resistance from the Pentagon. Previous Clinton administration directives, according to some critics, have increased U.S. vulnerability to a Russian nuclear strike. One Clinton directive ended the U.S. policy of "launch on warning" to one of "launch on destruction" - the U.S. can only launch a retaliatory strike against Russia or China if it confirms nuclear detonations on American soil. Other Clinton administration proposals have called for welding shut the missile hatch doors on nuclear submarines, and the removal of computer programs from land-based silos to locations 150 miles from the missile sites. ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> *Mike Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day. ================================================================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html <A HREF="http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om