Source:
The New York Times (via Dallas Morning News)MOSCOW – The United States and Russia, seeking to move forward on one of the most significant arms control treaties since the end of the Cold War, announced Monday that they had reached a preliminary agreement on cutting each country's stockpiles of strategic nuclear weapons by as much as one-third.
The so-called framework agreement, which is intended to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, was put together by negotiators as President Barack Obama arrived in Moscow for his first Russian-American summit meeting. It was approved by Obama and Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev.
Read more:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/DN-usrussia_07int.ART.State.Edition2.18188b.html
(Personal Note:
why in the hell is this not bigger news?)
From TrueMajority:
President Obama just signed an agreement with Russia's leaders to begin reducing both countries' stockpiles of nuclear arms, and develop a plan for eliminating nuclear weapons from our world.1 It's a day we've dreamed of for years, and an essential step toward reversing the huge arms build up that began under President Ronald Reagan.
The new treaty may cut the number of warheads both the US and Russia stockpile by as much as a third.2 But it can't go into effect until the Senate ratifies it. Email your Senators right now and tell them to support Obama's new treaty to reduce nuclear weapons and make the world a safer place.
http://act.truemajorityaction.org/t/120/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=33Obama's agreement with the Russians is intended to replace the Cold War-era Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty before it expires in December.3
If it's enacted, the new deal will cut the number of nuclear bombs each country can stockpile to about 1,500. That's still more than enough to blow up every major city on the planet but 73 percent fewer than we have today.4
Perhaps most important, if the two countries that hold 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons can agree on this deal, it may serve as a model for other countries to reduce their arsenals, and put us on the path to a world free of nuclear weapons. A nuclear free world is a vision TrueMajority members and Barack Obama have been working toward for a long time.5 But we can't take this next step until the Senate gets on board. Email your Senators now and tell them it's time to reduce our nuclear arsenal by backing up Obama's new treaty.
The significance of this reduction is as important as the wall coming down in Berlin.
The money required to maintain these stockpiles of weapons will be better used for much needed expenditures such as health care for all Americans.
Please spread the news!
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