New START Proponents Say Treaty Guards Against New Nuclear Arms Race and Should Be Extended

The widely expressed view of the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty among the faction in the national security establishment that supports its extension is that it’s beneficial to both the U.S. and Russia, that it reduces the risk of a nuclear arms race and that it provides the U.S. with access to Russia’s strategic forces through its inspection and reporting provisions that would otherwise be unavailable. This view was expressed by the American College of National Security Leaders (ACNSL) in a letter signed by 60 retired military leaders and national security experts to the House and Senate armed services and foreign affairs committees.