Republicans hammer at START Treaty

WASHINGTON, July 20 (UPI) -- The head of the U.S. Strategic Command defended the new START Treaty with Russia during a Senate hearing Tuesday.

Gen. Kevin Chilton was grilled by Republicans when he told Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., he agrees with a State Department assessment the United States can still defend itself if the Russians cheat, Defense News reported.

"Well, what this explains to the casual observer's mind, general, is if it doesn't have any consequences, if they do any cheating, what's the point in having a treaty?" McCain asked.

The treaty, which was signed in April by President Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, calls for both countries to reduce their deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550 each. The Senate and the Russian Parliament must still ratify it.

Both George LeMieux, R-Fla., and Scott Brown, R-Mass., suggested tactical nuclear weapons are a greater threat.

James Miller, a deputy undersecretary of defense, said when Brown wanted to know if the treaty has any "teeth" that the United States has a range of actions if the Russians are caught violating it. These range from political responses to increasing the number of deployed U.S. warheads.