Research Paper on:
1972's Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
to pull out of the treaty while Russia is reluctant to do so. This paper discusses the ongoing controversy and some of the legal implications involving the action.  ABOUT THE TREATY In 1972 the United States and Russia entered into a formal treaty called the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty that would provide limitations on the number of anti-ballistic missile  systems. That is, the systems designed to defend against strategic ballistic missiles. This was due to the fact that because of the cold war, bi-polarity, and the technology  of that time period, there were being put into use more and more weapons that depended upon the use of long range ballistic missiles (ABM Treaty 2001). This agreement was  reached so that both the United States and Russia would not continue to increase the number of long range ballistic missiles in their storehouses. However, not all missiles were  banned from use. According to the treaty, "as signed in 1972, the two sides were permitted two operational ABM sites, each with 100 ABM launchers and 100 ABM interceptor  missiles, with associated radar, storage, and test facilities. A 1974 amendment reduced the number of permitted operational ABM sites to one per side" (ABM Treaty, PG, 2001). TODAYS  CONTROVERSY The most recent review of the ABM Treaty was in 1993, at which time "numerous sessions of the Standing Consultative Commission have been held to work out Treaty succession.  This was done to "multilateralize" the Treaty as a result of the break-up of the Soviet Union and to negotiate a demarcation between ABM and non-ABM systems" (Treaty, PG,  2001). The United States has decided they want to pull out of the treaty altogether at this point. Russia has declared that this would not create a military emergency