http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8136918.stm

The United States and Russia have agreed a deal to cut back their stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reached the agreement during talks in Moscow.

The deal commits the two countries to further cuts in their nuclear arsenals after the Soviet-era Start I accord expires in December.

Good stuff, but they are still left with 1700 each...seems like rather a lot, and an odd number to choose. Any ideas why 1700 was chosen? Does it now give them the power to simply destroy each other ten times over? Surely once is enough...

Even better reason to ditch Trident?

It appears out nuclear deterrent is for the dustbin then? Maybe the Frogs will finally get one over on us then after all these years, now that we seem hell bent on becoming a military laughing stock.

By us I mean Zanu NL, obviously.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090706/ap_on_re_eu/obama

President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev struck a preliminary deal Monday to reduce their nations' stockpiles of nuclear warheads to as few as 1,500 each, pointing their arsenals toward the lowest levels of any U.S.-Russia arms control agreement.

The document signed by the two leaders at a Moscow summit, Obama's first in Russia, is meant as a guide for negotiators as the nations work toward a replacement pact for the START arms control agreement that expires in December. The joint understanding completed by Obama and Medvedev, signed after about three hours of talks at the Kremlin, also commits the new treaty to lower longer-range missiles for delivering nuclear bombs to between 500 and 1,100.

Under current treaties, each country is allowed a maximum of 2,200 warheads and 1,600 launch vehicles.

In fact a declaration about intentions was signed. And the negotiations would last years.

Previously on 24
As Dimitri Manuilski, of the Lenin School of Political Warfare so succinctly expressed it in 1933:

"War to the hilt between communism and capitalism is inevitable. Today, of course, we are not strong enough to attack. Our time will come in thirty to forty years. To win, we shall need the element of surprise. The bourgeoisie..will have to be put to sleep. So we shall begin by launching the most spectacular peace movement on record. There will be electrifying overtures and unheard of concessions. The capitalist countries, stupid and decadent, will rejoice to cooperate in their own destruction. They will leap at another chance to be friends. As soon as their guard is down, we shall smash them with our clenched fist."

And then came

Gentlemen, Comrades, do not be concerned about all you hear about glasnost and perestroika and democracy in the coming years. These are primarily for outward consumption. There will be no significant internal change within the Soviet Union, other than for cosmetic purposes. Our purpose is to disarm the Americans and let them fall asleep."
Mikhail Gorbachev also revealed this deception in a speech he gave to the Politburo in November of 1987

Draw your own conclusions, I'm still sceptical, Obama = OBlaira

Originally Posted by KGB_resident

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090706/ap_on_re_eu/obama

President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev struck a preliminary deal Monday to reduce their nations' stockpiles of nuclear warheads to as few as 1,500 each, pointing their arsenals toward the lowest levels of any U.S.-Russia arms control agreement.

The document signed by the two leaders at a Moscow summit, Obama's first in Russia, is meant as a guide for negotiators as the nations work toward a replacement pact for the START arms control agreement that expires in December. The joint understanding completed by Obama and Medvedev, signed after about three hours of talks at the Kremlin, also commits the new treaty to lower longer-range missiles for delivering nuclear bombs to between 500 and 1,100.

Under current treaties, each country is allowed a maximum of 2,200 warheads and 1,600 launch vehicles.

In fact a declaration about intentions was signed. And the negotiations would last years.

No, they are due to be done by December when the old treaty runs out.