Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists . Rallying support for an expanded missile defense system ahead of a U.S.-Russia summit, Vice President Al Gore said on Saturday the United States must continue to support innovation by the armed forces.
Strategic stability can never be a one-way street.
Reductions alone do not guarantee stability, it is how reductions are made, and how they interact with defensive systems that makes the difference. Allaying Russian fears Gore tried to calm Russian fears and build backing for the proposal that is likely to dominate talks in Moscow when President Clinton and newly elected Russian President Vladimir Putin meet next week. The Russians say the changes are too broad while Republicans argue they do not go far enough. The proposed system would require modification of the ABM treaty. So far, Russia has refused to go along with the changes, saying it would shift the balance of power to favor the United States.