08:45 am
Russia-Georgia: The Other Shoe Drops
This isn’t good:
Statement by Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Washington, DC
September 8, 2008
The President intends to notify Congress that he has today rescinded his prior determination regarding the U.S.-Russia Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation (the so-called ‘123’ Agreement). As a result, there is no basis for further consideration of the Agreement under the Atomic Energy Act at this time.
The U.S. nonproliferation goals contained in the proposed Agreement remain valid: to provide a sound basis for U.S.-Russian civil nuclear cooperation, create commercial opportunities, and enhance cooperation with Russia on important global nonproliferation issues.
We make this decision with regret. Unfortunately, given the current environment, the time is not right for this agreement.
We will reevaluate the situation at a later date as we follow developments closely.
For those not familiar with 123 agreements, they are named after Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which requires that the U.S. government negotiate and sign an agreement with a given country before commerce in nuclear materials can be established.
Although 123 agreements can be controversial in and of themselves (as is the case with the U.S.-India pact), they also offer a way to help promote nonproliferation and the reduction of nuclear stockpiles.
The era of U.S.-Russian cooperation on nukes may have just come to an end.
Hope Saakashvili is feeling more secure now — because something tells me that a few of those missiles are now pointed his way.
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