Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty: U.S. Withdraw

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Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty: U.S. Withdraw

The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (referred to as the "ABM Treaty" for the rest of this paper) was signed into effect by President Richard Nixon and the Soviet leader at the time, Leonid Brezhnev, in Moscow on May 26, 1972. Under this treaty, the United States and the former Soviet Union agreed to limit very sharply the development and deployment of anti-ballistic missile defense systems, and also to restrict the number and location of such systems. The purpose of signing this treaty and following its terms, for both countries, was to constrain the nuclear weapons capability arms-race that had come to define the cold-war era. This treaty was the centerpiece, as well as the principal achievement, of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (otherwise known as SALT) that took place in Moscow between Nixon and Brezhnev in 1972. The ABM treaty was of indefinite duration and both countries could amend it with mutual agreement or, if they decided to do so, withdraw from the treaty, giving the other country six months’ notice.

That six months’ notice was given by the President George W. Bush of the United States to Russia on December 15, 2001. This is the first time in recent history that the United States has withdrawn from a major international-arms treaty. Although talks had been held with the Russians on possible amendments to the treaty, the United States opted to withdraw completely in order to have an open slate for the development and deployment of anti-ballistic missile defense. Among the reasons for withdraw from the ABM treaty are the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Supporters of the withdraw cited the attacks as an example of what a seemingly small faction could do to the Unit...

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...sponsored terrorists, as well as from nuclear-capable countries, it is necessary that we have the ability to stop whatever comes our way and save the lives of thousands, if not millions, of American citizens. To do so, it was important that the new administration under George W. Bush take action to further our research and development in the area of anti-ballistic missile defense systems.

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