World

Russia: Missile Shield Will Fail

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

October 26, 1999 / 12:42 PM EDT / CBS

Moscow warned the United States Monday that it has enough weapons to overwhelm any anti-ballistic missile system, and threatened to deploy more atomic warheads if Washington builds a national missile defense system, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

In a story from Moscow, the Post quoted Nikolai Mikhailov, first deputy defense minister, as saying that Russia's arsenal has such Â"technical capabilitiesÂ" to Â"overcomeÂ" any antimissile defenses.

He told the Post the technology was available and would be used if Â"the United States pushes us toward it.Â"

His comments followed last week's meeting between Russian and U.S. officials to discuss possible amendments to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM).

CBS News Correspondent Mark Knoller reports that White House spokesman Joe Lockhart on Tuesday dismissed RussiaÂ's warning, saying that it missed the point.

Lockhart said that the missile shield under consideration would be designed to protection against the threat posed by "rogue states," not Moscow. He added that Washington will continue discussions with Russia about the possibility of amending the ABM treaty.

Lockhart said the U.S. believes talks with Moscow are "moving forward in a constructive way."

On Friday, Russia said talks on strategic arms cuts would become pointless if the landmark ABM treaty were altered.
The ABM pact outlaws defense systems designed to shoot down enemy warheads. Washington is trying to amend the treaty to permit it to build a limited defense against any attack on the United States or on U.S. troops stationed abroad by missile capable states such as North Korea or Iran.

The Clinton administration has said it will decide next summer whether to go ahead with a limited missile defense system, which would require changing or abandoning the treaty, but Russian officials have warned that such a move could unravel two decades of arms control efforts.