News

DATE=10/10/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=TEST BAN (L-ONLY) CQ NUMBER=2-254861 BYLINE=JON TKACH DATELINE=WASHINGTON INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The Clinton administration is pushing the Senate to delay a vote on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The President has conceded the treaty has no hope of passing if voted on, as scheduled, this week. V-O-A's Jon Tkach reports administration officials say it is a vital issue and should be put up for more debate. TEXT: Secretary of Defense William Cohen and other top administration officials fanned out across the country's Sunday television talk shows to support the treaty. Appearing on N-B-C's "Meet the Press", Mr. Cohen charged Senate Republicans with playing politics. He warned there will be serious repercussions if they reject the treaty. /// COHEN ACT /// We are in a situation right now where we are about to send a signal to the rest of the world that we are not as serious about controlling the spread of nuclear weapons as we should be. I believe if we ratify the treaty we will have a chance to at least control the level of proliferation, if not stop it. /// END ACT /// But in another interview, Senate Republican Jon Kyl denied suggestions that Republicans are rushing to kill the treaty. On "Fox News Sunday", he said senators have had ample time to make up their minds about the treaty. He said he does not know for sure whether there will be a vote this week, but if there is, the Senate will reject it. /// KYL ACT /// The treaty is not verifiable, it has no enforcement procedure whatsoever. In fact, Dick Lugar, who I mentioned is a very bipartisan supporter of arms control, has said this is even worse than trying to get Saddam Hussein to comply with the sanctions and the U-N resolution we have enforced upon him. There is no enforcement mechanism. /// END ACT /// Senator Kyl says the United States must be free to conduct tests in order to ensure the safety of its nuclear arsenal. The Senate Republican leadership has said it will delay a vote only if President Clinton agrees not to return the issue to the Senate during the remaining year-and-a-half of his presidency. But administration officials say such a move would tell the world the United States can not do business during an election year. (SIGNED) NEB/JON/RAE/gm 10-Oct-1999 15:53 PM EDT (10-Oct-1999 1953 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .