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Arms control treaty slashed military arsenals in Europe after Cold W

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  • Arms control treaty slashed military arsenals in Europe after Cold W

    Arms control treaty slashed military arsenals in Europe after Cold War

    The Associated PressPublished: July 14, 2007


    A glance at the main elements of the Conventional Forces Treaty in
    Europe:



    _ ORIGINALLY CONCLUDED: on November 19, 1990 between NATO and Warsaw
    Pact nations.

    _ AREA AFFECTED: Between Atlantic Ocean and Ural mountains.

    _ FORCE LIMITS: Each bloc was limited to 6,800 combat aircraft and
    2,000 attack helicopters, as well as 20,000 tanks, 30,000 armored
    personnel carriers, and 20,000 artillery guns. The changes eliminated
    the Warsaw Pact's overwhelming numerical superiority in Central Europe.

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    _ DEPLOYMENT LIMITS: Basing of military forces was progressively
    restricted near the line dividing the two blocs, thus ensuring that
    neither could launch a surprise attack.

    _ TRANSPARENCY: The treaty called for both blocs to allow inspectors
    from the other side to monitor military maneuvers and other movements,
    and to verify the destruction of weaponry.

    ___

    _ AMENDED TREATY: Signed in Istanbul on November 19, 1999.

    _ MAIN CHANGES: Due to the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the
    defection of many of its members to NATO, bloc force limits were
    abolished and replaced by a complex system of ceilings for individual
    nations and regions. The new version also called on Russia to pull out
    its forces from Georgia and Moldova.

    _ SIGNATORIES: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada,
    Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
    Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway,
    Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine,
    United Kingdom, and the United States.

    _ RATIFIED BY: The amended treaty has so far been ratified by Belarus,
    Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Russia.

    _ COMPLAINTS: NATO signatories have complained that Russia has not
    withdrawn its forces from Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester province.
    Moscow says they are peacekeepers preventing a resumption of combat
    between the two sides. Russian leaders repeatedly criticized the
    treaty's revised version, saying it was irrelevant due to its continued
    non-ratification by NATO members.

    ___

    SOURCES: NATO, OSCE, Russian government.
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