Option 2: Cut Off Some U.S. Assistance

Proponents Say: Cut Off Some U.S. Economic Assistance and Support for Russia Unless it Ends Sensitive Exports to Iran.

• Freeze Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) programs. End Russia's participation in the International Space Station. End Russia's satellite launch quota.
• The basic purpose of these three programs is to prevent the leakage of Russian missile and WMD materials and expertise, so that countries like Iran will not be able to build missiles and WMD. It makes little sense for the United States to spend billions of dollars on these programs when Russia is deliberately helping Iran to build such arms.

Opponents Say: Cutting Off U.S. Assistance to Russia Would Not Curtail Proliferation of Sensitive Materials.

• U.S. CTR programs directly benefit U.S. national security by reducing the danger of missile and WMD proliferation from Russia.
• Even if Russia is tolerating or participating in some questionable exports to Iran, these sales represent a smaller threat than that posed by the loss of control over WMD materials and expertise in Russia, which the U.S. CTR programs try to prevent. From what is known publicly, serious leakage of WMD expertise or materials could do much more to speed Iran's missile and WMD programs than Russia's current exports.
• In addition, loss of control over Russian WMD materials and expertise in Russia could allow them to wind up in the hands of other countries or terrorist organizations.
• The United States needs Russian participation in the International Space Station because Russia has more experience in long-duration manned space flight and in developing certain types of equipment. The project, on which the United States has spent billions of dollars and which symbolizes peaceful international cooperation in space, could possibly be jeopardized without Russian participation.
• The United States benefits from allowing Russia to launch U.S. commercial satellites. Russian launchers are much cheaper than U.S. launchers, reducing costs and helping U.S. businesses, particularly telecommunications companies, and consumers. Cutting off these programs could hurt the United States in many ways, without guaranteeing that Russia will alter its export policies.

Further Reading:

	Senate Hearing, "Has the Russian Space Launch Quota Achieved its Purpose?"
	David Albright, "Nuclear Non-Proliferation Concerns and Export Controls in Russia"
	WMD 411, The United States and the Middle East

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