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#6 - RW 267
Izvestia
July 29, 2003
YURI BALUYEVSKY: THE DANGER IS IN SINGULAR LAUNCHES
Author: not indicated
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]
AN INTERVIEW WITH COLONEL GENERAL YURI BALUYEVSKY, SENIOR DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE
GENERAL STAFF.
CONSULTATIONS ON COOPERATION IN THE SPHERE OF ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
ARE UNDER WAY BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES AND BETWEEN RUSSIA AND NATO
CONSULTATIONS ON COOPERATION IN THE SPHERE OF ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
ARE UNDER WAY BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES AND BETWEEN RUSSIA AND NATO.
THE SUBJECT OF THE TALKS, HOWEVER, DIFFERS. MOSCOW DISCUSSES ANTI-BALLISTIC
MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM OF A THEATER OF OPERATIONS WITH NATO AND STRATEGIC
ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM WITH THE UNITED STATES...
Question: Yuri Nikolayevich, when
cooperation in the sphere of anti-ballistic missile defense is discussed, it
will not hurt to understand first exactly what participants of the cooperation
intend to defend themselves from. Cooperation stipulates existence of common
threats. Russia has one approach to the problem, the United States another,
Europe the third...
Yuri Baluyevsky: That's right. It is
because of this difference in approaches that we came to Europe with the
suggestion to begin with evaluation of missile threats. It is clear after all
that these threats will not be adequate to the ones existing in other regions of
the world, say in the United States.
Question: Do you think it all depends on
the region or on the country in question?
Yuri Baluyevsky: It does depend on the
region too. Where may a threat to Europe originate from nowadays? From the
"southern underbelly" where... Well, I won't identify countries by
names, but the United States calls them rogue regimes. These countries strive
for missile technologies and weapons of mass destruction. These are the
countries where terrorist trends are particularly noticeable. That is why we
told Europe, "Let us define the threats typical of Europe, and that will be
the first part of our cooperation." We emphasized more than once that
danger may lie in singular launches including terrorist ones.
As for the United States, it assigns unquestionable priority to the threat
posed by the so called rogue regimes. As a career officer and specialist,
however, I view the threat posed, say, by North Korea far too inadequate
technically. But all right, let the United States take the threat as seriously
as it wants. But why would it modernize radars of the early warning system in
Greenland and Great Britain, far from trajectories of the missiles launched by
rogue regimes. It can only mean that theoreticians and strategists in Washington
fear that there may be a threat posed by Russia too, say, the threat of
unsanctioned launches. We can only guess that this is how this logic runs. At
negotiations, we are always told that Russia and the United States are partners
and even allies. Unfortunately, some actions and moves show that we are anything
but.
Question: And how does the joint study of
the threats proceed? Are there any preliminary results you could comment on?
Yuri Baluyevsky: The first time Russia
voiced the idea of a European anti-ballistic missile defense system was in 1994.
The defense minister of Russia returned to the initiative again at the meeting
of the Russia - NATO Council in October 2000. The following February the idea
was forwarded to NATO General Secretary George Robertson. The document suggested
the algorithm - define the nature of the threats first and set up a joint
mechanism of work on the European anti-ballistic missile defense system next.
This mechanism has been set up. The working team within the framework of the
Russia - NATO Council has performed perfectly. For example, it formed a glossary
of definitions on the basis of what was previously agreed on at lengthy
Russian-American negotiations... As for the threats, some progress has been made
but I would not say that absolutely all threats have been analyzed.
Question: And when do you expect it?
Yuri Baluyevsky: The working group has
until the end of 2004 to evaluate the threats and study compatibility of Russian
and NATO means of anti-ballistic missile defense.
Question: A few words on compatibility,
if you do not mind. The Americans and we do have at least something to study
compatibility of. What about Europe?
Yuri Baluyevsky: There are problems here.
We all know the American policy. Washington always strives to have its allies
use American-manufactured key elements of armaments and military hardware. The
same is true for the sphere of anti-ballistic missile defense. Some European
countries use PAC systems (Patriot Advanced Capability) of different models -
PAC-1, PAC-2, or PAC-3. All these systems are modifications of the American
Patriot missile. These days, Washington suggests its own "umbrella"
for all of Europe. It promoted the idea of a system known as THAAD (Theater High
Altitude Air Defense).
Question: And is this what Russia
proposes as well?
Yuri Baluyevsky: Attempts of this sort
are made. We know what the Americans understand under cooperation. American
partners are never offered the latest technologies (even though they are
demanded to come up with their latest ideas), manufacture is to be organized in
the United States, and the financial burden is to be mostly carried by the
allies in question.
Question: Is the lack of progress at the
talks ascribed to this state of affairs?
Yuri Baluyevsky: There are other
obstacles as well. Russia and the United States do not have an agreement on
cooperation. Without it, the government of Russia cannot put the United States
on the list of the countries military-technical cooperation is permitted with.
This is a purely legal matter of course but even it has to be tackled first.
Question: And what prevents the
agreement? US Ambassador Alexander Vershbow suggested it ten days ago.
Yuri Baluyevsky: I'd like to emphasize
that there is a political foundation for our cooperation. It is specified by the
Rome Declaration and by documents of the Russian-American summits as well.
Moscow believes that cooperation should be long-term, mutually beneficial, and
providing equal security to all participants. We will cooperate with the United
States and NATO countries only on the basis of these principles.
(Translated by A. Ignatkin)
CDI Russia Weekly #267 ~ Contents • Next
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