At the request of the Task Force to Stop THAAD and Militarism in Asia and the Pacific, which is trying to enhance awareness of the dangers inherent in deploying the U.S.THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile system in the Far East, Ray attempted to put the issue of anti-ballistic missile defense in some context during a Webinar on February 13.
Members of the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch Ray led in the 70s and Ray were personally involved in supporting the U.S.-Soviet SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) in Vienna and Helsinki which drafted the ABM Treaty concluded in May 1972. Ray had the privilege of being in Moscow when President Nixon came to sign the treaty and other arms agreements. The ABM Treaty was the linchpin of strategic stability until Bush and Cheney pulled the pin out in 2001.
Ray used four visuals to show the more recent trend in U.S.-Russian “non-negotiations” (since 2012), the real reasons behind the “Star Wars” ABM program, how seriously President Putin views recent developments, and the implications for strategic stability “going forward” (as they now say) after going backward for 16 years.
(special thanks to Veterans For Peace colleague Will Griffin for uploading it onto his Peace Report channel)
https://youtu.be/yS5-xKFE4Zk
February 13, 2017 (14 minutes)