U.S. State Department
Office of Research,
January 18, 2002
Foreign Media Reactions on U.S. Nuclear Policy Review: '
Sleight of Hand' Doesn't Escape Notice
Edited by Katherine L. Starr
The U.S.' "Nuclear Posture Review"--particularly its plans to store rather than destroy some nuclear
warheads, and to shorten the lead time on any future nuclear weapons tests--was the subject of limited
but, nonetheless, pointed criticism from Russia, European capitals, Canada, Australia and China. A
Canadian paper suggested that, with the world's press diverted by other hot-button foreign policy is-
sues, the U.S. may have hoped that last week's Pentagon briefing on the NPR would not cause much of
a ripple overseas. A cadre of editorialists, however, put the spotlight on what was widely seen as "de-
ceitful posturing" on the part of the Bush administration: Belying the president's "promised bold think-
ing on the U.S. nuclear deterrent," the U.S. was, in their view, using "an accounting sleight of hand" to
make sure that any heralded arms cuts are "eminently reversible." The prospect of resumed nuclear
testing further raised hackles for many analysts, who saw it as one more affront to international arms
control. Some complained that the U.S. seems determined to have the CTBT go the way of the soon-
to-be-defunct ABM Treaty, thus further "impairing international confidence in arms control." A recent
round of U.S.-Russian arms talks, which "ended in practically nothing" according to Russian commen-
tators, added to the generally aggrieved tone in Moscow media. Highlights follow:
Russian Media Aggrieved: Moscow papers across the political spectrum, from reformist to nationalist
opposition, interpreted the U.S.' nuclear stance as an unfortunate "relapse" into old thinking. They
contended that Washington has essentially "ignored Moscow's calls to make arms reductions irreversi-
ble" and is "set to renew nuclear tests." Reformist Izvestiya predicted that nuclear arms talks promise a
"repeat of the ABM story. Either we will have a 'feeble' agreement...or no agreement at all, if both
sides refuse to budge." Opposition Sovetskaya Rossiya was more pointed in its critique of the NPR--
and of Putin's "still keeping quiet" in response: "This is another instance of Russia having been hu-
miliated in front of the whole world, just a few weeks after [Bush] announced his withdrawal from the
ABM Treaty."
Disappointment in European/Aussie/Canadian Outlets: Charges that the U.S., "behind all the rhetoric
about peace and security," was bent on "embedding the nuclear deterrent even more deeply into U.S.
strategic thinking" were voiced by opinionmakers from London to Toronto and down under to Mel-
bourne. Many were particularly incensed at the prospect of more nuclear testing. If the U.S. continues
to put so much stock in its nuclear arsenal, critics argued, "it has no credibility" to tell others--read
India and Pakistan--"not to expand their own nuclear stockpiles." Some worried, too, that Washing-
ton's nuclear posture could rouse domestic opposition in Russia to Putin's pro-West strategy, and
strengthen the hand of revanchist political elements there, "who want to retain the biggest possible
deterrent."
Alarm Bells in Chinese Press: Beijing's state press issued predictably dire warnings that the "new U.S.
nuclear strategy"--and particularly its "hinting at resuming nuclear testing"--signals another blow, after
the ABM Treaty withdrawal notice, to international arms control.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This report is based on 26 reports from 12 countries, January 9-18. Editorial ex-
cerpts from each country are listed from the most recent date.
EUROPE
