The Obama administration is currently focused on a deliverable for the President’s summit and, despite the best efforts of missile defense supporters in the House and Senate, appears to be considering a trade of missile defense for Russian acquiescence on a new arms reduction agreement. As Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) said in a statement released on Wednesday, “’Arms control for arms control sake’ is what appears to be guiding these negotiations, and it simply does not work.”
Arms control just for the sake of arms control is the least of our worries. I'd have no problem with a treaty that simply reduces our nuclear missile levels. I'm fine with this even though Russia's missile strength will decline with or without a treaty--they can't afford to maintain their numbers.
But by linking our missile defenses in Eastern Europe with Russian nuclear weapons levels, we implicitly buy into Russia's argument that our missile defenses are somehow aimed at Russia and not Iran.
No good will come from validating Russia's paranoia.
