Arlen Specter: “Mr. President, on the pending issue, having studied the conditions as to what is sought here by way of preliminary…”

“Mr. President, on the pending issue, having studied the conditions as to what is sought here by way of preliminary action by Russia before ratification should occur by the United States, it is my strong view that we really ought not to play Gaston and Alphonse with the Russians to require them, as article C does, for Russia to deposit their ratification before the United States ratifies. I think that that sets up a condition which is just not reasonable. If they took the same position, as Alphonse and Gaston, no one would ever enter the door. With respect to the other conditions which are set forth here, all of the substantive matters would be superseded by the Chemical Weapons Convention, that the requirements set forth in this treaty would impose more obligations on Russia than are contained in these instruments. And under instrument A, where it is talked about, an agreement between the United States and Russia, that was never formalized into an agreement because all terms were never agreed to by the parties, so that this is not a condition which adds any measure of safety to the United States since all of the requirements imposed on Russia in these collateral arrangements would be superseded and more stringent requirements would be added by the Chemical Weapons Convention.”