JCIC-DIP-08-006: ANNUAL START SLCM DECLARATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 125684 GENEVA FOR JCIC E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2028 TAGS: BO KACT KZ PARM RS UP US START JCIC SUBJECT: JCIC-DIP-08-006: ANNUAL START SLCM DECLARATION REF: A. 94 STATE 322920 (JCIC-DIP-94-058 ¶B. 95 STATE 280072 (JCIC-DIP-95-097) ¶C. 96 STATE 247261 (JCIC-DIP-96-066) ¶D. 97 STATE 224436 (JCIC-DIP-97-065) ¶E. 98 STATE 217106 (JCIC-DIP-98-058) ¶F. 99 STATE 224343 (JCIC-DIP-99-030) ¶G. 00 STATE 222024 (JCIC-DIP-00-020) ¶H. 01 STATE 201452 (JCIC-DIP-01-023) ¶I. 02 STATE 237303 (JCIC-DIP-02-042) ¶J. 03 STATE 329313 (JCIC-DIP-03-038) ¶K. 04 STATE 250414 (JCIC-DIP-04-023) ¶L. 05 STATE 217917 (JCIC-DIP-05-019) ¶M. 06 STATE 194491 (JCIC-DIP-06-014) ¶N. 07 STATE 162850 (JCIC-DIP-07-009) ¶O. 93 GENEVA 10443 (JCIC-VI-143) ¶P. 94 GENEVA 04317 (JCIC-VII-159) Classified By: Jerry A. Taylor, Director, VCI/SI. Reason 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 5. ¶2. (U) BACKGROUND: When the START Treaty was signed, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to provide annual declarations concerning their planned deployments of nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs) for the duration of the Treaty. The Parties are required to declare annually: 1) the maximum number of deployed nuclear SLCMs for each of the following five years that the Treaty is in force; and 2) confidential information on the number of nuclear SLCMs with a range of between 300 and 600 kilometers, deployed on surface ships and submarines. The first SLCM declaration was provided by the United States on December 5, 1994 (Ref A). Subsequent U.S. declarations were provided in Refs B through N. ¶3. (U) In December 2005, December 2006, and December 2007, given the scheduled expiration of the START Treaty in December 2009, the United States provided four-year, three-year, and two-year declarations, respectively, (Refs L-N) covering the number of years remaining before the expiration of the 15 year period specified in paragraph 2 of Article XVII. This year, the United States is providing a declaration covering the one year remaining through December 2009. ¶4. (U) Since Belarus and Kazakhstan made one-time declarations that they did not possess nor intend to possess nuclear SLCMs during JCIC-VI and JCIC-VII, respectively (Refs O-P),a declaration will not be needed from these Parties. ¶5. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Embassies Moscow, Kyiv, and Astana should provide the points in paragraph 6 below, along with the SLCM declarations in paragraphs 7 and 8 under appropriate diplomatic note cover, to host governments not later than December 5, 2008, to meet a requirement established in a formal declaration made by the United States on July 31, 1991. Washington will provide embassies a courtesy Russian-language translation of these points as well as the English-language text. The texts in paragraphs 6, 7, and 8 will be sent as a service message via the NRRCs Continuous Communication Link with the Belarusian Ministry of Defense. Each Embassy is requested to confirm delivery of the points and declarations, the name and office of the official to whom they were delivered, the date of delivery, and any comment or reaction provided at that time. ¶6. (U) Begin points: - In accordance with formal declarations made by the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on July 31, 1991, the United States is providing its annual nuclear SLCM declarations to the other Treaty Parties, using formats agreed upon during JCIC-VII. - This years report includes declarations for the following year, until expiration of the period specified in paragraph 2 of Article XVII. (For Kyiv only): - The United States requests reciprocal declarations from your government at this time. (For Belarus only): - The United States is providing these declarations to its Treaty partners and notes that during JCIC-VI your government provided a one-time SLCM declaration which obviates the need for similar declarations from your government so long as there is no change in the circumstances declared therein. (For Astana only): - The United States is providing these declarations to its Treaty partners and notes that during JCIC-VII your government provided a one-time SLCM declaration which obviates the need for similar declarations from your government so long as there is no change in the circumstances declared therein. End points. ¶7. (U) Begin declaration on unclassified information regarding deployments of nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles: Declaration of the United States of America Regarding its Policy Concerning Nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missiles For the year beginning December 5, 2008, the deployments of nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles planned by the United States of America will not exceed zero. End declaration. ¶8. (C/Releasable to Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine) Begin declaration on confidential information regarding numbers of deployed nuclear SLCMs with ranges between 300 and 600 kilometers: Declaration of the United States of America Regarding its Policy Concerning Nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missiles On December 5, 2008, the number of nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles with a range of between 300 and 600 kilometers deployed on surface ships and submarines is zero. End declaration. RICE NNNN End Cable Text