U.S. and Russia Move Toward Reducing Number of Nuclear Weapons

Interview with John Isaacs, executive director and president of the Council for a Liveable World and executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, conducted by Scott Harris

President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmetri Medvedev, meeting in Moscow on July 6, signed a joint preliminary agreement to work toward cutting the number of deployed nuclear warheads to between 1,500 and 1,675 within seven years -- a reduction from the previous ceiling of 2,200. The leaders also agreed to limit the number of land-based intercontinental missiles, submarine-based missiles and bombers to between 500 and 1,100, down from the previous limit of 1,600 delivery vehicles.

The U.S. - Russian agreement, if ratified by the U.S. Senate, would replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, which expires in December. Obama will host a nuclear security summit meeting in Washington next March where he hopes to make more substantial cuts in the world's nuclear arsenal and limit proliferation.

While the two leaders agreed to fight the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea, Medvedev and Obama did not resolve their nation's differences over the U.S. plan to deploy a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, initiated under the Bush administration to deter a future missile threat from Iran. Russia strongly opposes the plan as a threat to its security. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with John Isaacs, executive director and president of the Council for a Livable World and executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, who outlines the progress made in Moscow and the reasons why the U.S. and Russia live with legacy of the Cold War more than 18 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

John Isaacs, executive director and president of the Council for a Livable World and executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Contact the Council by calling (202) 543-4100 or visit their website at liveableworld.org

Related Links:

* Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation at www.armscontrolcenter.org
* The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists www.thebulletin.org

Real Audio:
btlonline.org/2009/ram/isaacs072409.ram

MP3:
btlonline.org/2009/mp3/isaacs072409.mp3

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

RealAudio:
btlonline.org/2009/ram/btl0072409.ram

DOWNLOAD the MP3 by visiting:
btlonline.org/download

VIEW the Between the Lines website by clicking on the link below:
www.btlonline.org

***********************************

"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: www.btlonline.org
*
"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net
*
betweenthelines-AT-snet.net
*
www.squeakywheel.net/
*
Distributed by Squeaky Wheel Productions
©2009 Between The Lines. All Rights Reserved.