To the horror of some arms-control advocates, the Trump administration recently announced its long-considered decision to withdraw from the 1992 Treaty on Open Skies (OST).
Despite the expected outcry, it’s fully justified in doing so.
For years, Russia has been blatantly violating the 34-nation confidence- and security-building treaty, which came into force in 2002, and allows unarmed aerial observation flights over member states’ territory in the interest of military transparency.
Using onboard cameras, OST missions—if conducted as the treaty envisions—can potentially provide early warning of aggression, observe ongoing military exercises, and even help verify arms control and other agreements.
But that isn’t happening due …read more
Source:: The Daily Signal
