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Russia, China Propose New Treaty to Ban Arms in Space
GENEVA - Russia and China have proposed a new treaty to ban the use of weapons in space, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a disarmament conference on Tuesday.
"Without preventing an arms race in space, international security will be wanting," Lavrov told the conference.
"The task of preventing an arms race in space is on the conference's agenda. It's time... to start serious practical work in this field," he said.
Concerns over a new arms race in space have been growing since China tested an anti-satellite missile last January, sparking a diplomatic outcry.
The United States also has its own anti-satellite programme ranging from laser cannon to satellite destroying missiles.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 bans the build up or stockage of military weapons -- including nuclear arms or weapons of mass destruction -- in orbit and their installation on the moon, but not the shooting down of satellites.
"Weapons deployment in space by one state will inevitably result in a chain reaction. And this, in turn, is fraught with a new spiral in the arms race both in space and on the earth," Lavrov said.
The Russian minister also reiterated his criticisms of the United States's plans for an anti-missile shield in Europe.
"We cannot but feel concerned over the situation where ... there are increasing efforts by the United States to deploy its global ABM (anti-ballistic missile) system," Lavrov said.
"The desire to acquire an anti-missile 'shield' while dismantling the 'sheath', where the nuclear 'sword' is kept is extremely dangerous," he added.
Washington is currently negotiating with Warsaw and Prague on the possible installation of 10 interceptor missile sites in Poland by 2012 and associated radar stations in the Czech Republic.
The US says the sites are neeed as part of a gradually-developing shield to ward off potential attacks by what it calls "rogue states," notably Iran.
© 2008 Agence France Presse
18 Comments so far
Show AllIt's high time for the European Union to decide whether to allow ABM's on their soil, and I doubt there will be eagerness to set up Europe as a next theater of war when so little diplomacy has been exercised.
Until put into a humble situation equal to a terrible defeat, the US is not going to back down from its presumption of world leadership-domination. It's our national psychology. Empires all have it ...until the catastrophe is big enough to rid them of the empire. Let's just hope it happens for the US before the new arms race gets too far along. I don't want my counry to have to be invaded/obliterated by other world powers in order for us to realize we're no better than anybody else.
And who can blame the Russians for taking a defensive posture? I know I would. Why not include them in our shield (if we absolutely must build it?) Few countries on earth are as comparable to the United States as Russia. Senseless.
It's like closing the stable door after the horse has left - who wants to say that WE have not already armed space?
ITS POINTLESS AND SENSELESS. . .THE WHOLE ROTTEN MESS, IF NATIONS NEED THIS TO SURVIVE BETTER EXTINCTION! PARANOIA RUN AMOK AMONG ITS POLITICAL LEADERS.. . IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY AND PROFIT! THE WHOLE THING BE DAMNED!
It never ceases to boggle my mind that America has squandered billions of dollars on the false presumption that we can create a missile defense system that will actually be operational. To date there has not been one successful test that was conducted under realistic conditions. This expensive legacy from Reagan's Hollywood imagination continues to provide profits to the AeroSpace industry, while failing to provide any sense of security. Instead it threatens to further destabilize our relationship with Russia, while doing nothing to protect Europe or America.
sure; just blow up the place. might be quicker than what global warming, unabated, will do. efficiency matters!
We had a Peaceful Uses of Space treaty, ratified by the Senate, the Law of the Land. Der Bush unilaterally discarded it like he has so many others. Under the Constitution, that is an impeachable offense. HA!
The US says the sites are neeed as part of a gradually-developing shield to ward off potential attacks by what it calls "rogue states," notably Iran.
The sites are needed for a surprise nuclear attack on Russia and China. While the missile shield is useless against a full scale nuclear attack from Russia, it may be effective in stopping a very few Russian missiles that might - though unlikely - survive a massive U.S. first strike. That's why the so called shield is actually an offensive weapon.
It has nothing to do with defense or with "rogue states."
The US was the only nation in 2006 to vote against PAROS (prevention of arms race in outer space).
China also illumined a US satellite with a laser (Sept. 2006), in addition to their anti-satellite kinetic weapon mentioned above.
They are trying to tell us to negotiate but our war-mongers won't listen and instead insist upon military dominance everywhere.
Who is the holdout for the cluster bomb ban?
Who feels that the Geneva Conventions are "quaint"?
Whose, by treaty, illegal bioweapons lab did the Anthrax letters strain come from?
Who still uses napalm under another brand name?
Who feels that any ratified treaty has the same value as the Constitution (ie., toilet paper)?
I rest my case.
From Reagan ( let's rename Washington National airport by the way ) to the Bushs ( let's also rename the Houston airport ) we have idiots with arms. It's time for a change ( Yes We Can ) and propose disarmament and peace. Let all the USA miltary contractors do something worthwhile and let's stop selling arms to the world.
Will Obama or Hillary rein in the M/I/I complex?
The chance of this sticking or there arent already weapons up there is ......
What...?
Ain't none of you people happy to be living in your privileged Empire?
'Why' all of this whining in CD?
After all of Kissinger's and other's 'hard work' on your behalf (and at the behest of our fine 'International-Set'), and after ALL of the Rewards that have been 'blessed' upon this-country (and the 'West') for almost centuries-now -- and as provided by the world's-poor -- you STILL wanna Bitch?
Talk about "wanting your cake, and eating it, too"!
Just 'grab a bigger piece for yourself' -- Buffet and Soros are a couple of dumb-asses, so if THEY can do-it, surely you smart-asses can...! It's easy...I'm doing it hand-over-fist, on a daily basis.
[Want a 'tip'? Buy some Yuan, soon. And bet Hilly at 8-to-5]
Make some MONEY, instead of all this 'noise'...!
As for the Chinese 'floating our current boat' or the defeated-Russkis -- ignore them. China will soon have a lot of 'useless paper', Rothschild already grabbed most of Russia's oil-boom, and NEITHER of them got the Memo about "Full Spectrum American Dominance" in Space or Terrestrially or on/under the Seas...
Too bad the AeroSpace industry doesn't want to make a profit from building wind generators.
The fact that China and Russia are workin together on this says a lot.
I don't think the USA has military dominance.
It has that as its goal and that is why it is not working.
It is fucking up America though.
When Russia flies big bombers over our Aircraft carriers... and like they have near Alaska, they are sending a message that MAD is back, folks.
The balance of military power is here now, and as far as the boasting of "we are the best!" and military dominance, well nobody believes that but the Hawks who talk big but are still trying to figure out how to win the Wars they are still losing.
I saw a documentary by Mr. Bruce Gagnon on the Star Wars program, over a year ago, and it is frightening.
Russia, China, and the rest of the world cannot trust the United States. Unfortunately, (for the planet) they have to resume the so-called Cold War, once again.
Go to www.space4peace.org and check it out.
I saw that same movie by Bruce Gagnon. (sp?)
He brought up the fact that blowing things up in space would have debris floating around for ages.
Then we could float balloons over the ocean to communicate with Europe.
Space would be uninhabitable.