two articles on START treaty compared

The Republican election victory in the United States brought up a lot of issues, both domestic and international, which President Obama will have to address in the nearest future. Along with the program of modernization of nation’s nuclear weapons, there is a problem with the New Start arms control treaty, which ratification might soon become a stumbling block not only in Congress but also in the relations between The US and Russia. Thus the Fleet Street provides a detailed coverage of the issues above.          

                         Two articles by Peter Baker “U.S. Vote Could Derail Russia Ties” and “Obama Forces Showdown With G.O.P. on Arms Pact” published in The New York Times are focused on the impact of Republican election victory on Russia – U.S. relationships. The first article, which was published on the 6^th of November, draws reader’s attention to the U.S. foreign policy and its relations with Russia in particular which might soon be soon deteriorated. The author describes current Russia – U.S. friendly ties as forged but sees them as an important prerequisite to successful international policy (particularly in Iran and Afghanistan). The first article outlines a “nightmare scenario” in The Middle East if Obama fails to persuade both chambers to ratify The Start Treaty. The language of the article is image-bearing and full of different figures of speech (“to shelve the treaty”, “anti-American hawks”, “a nightmare scenario”, etc.).

                        The second article “Obama Forces Showdown With G.O.P. on Arms Pact” published on the 18^th of November shifts reader’s attention to The Capitol Hill, where the ratification of The Start Treaty has recently become the major political debate. It gives a historic insight of the problem and provides a wide range of qualified opinions (by Geoffrey Kemp, Joseph Biden Jr., and Gary Samor). The article is focused on the necessary conditions which would secure the procedure of ratification of the Treaty.  It also describes in detail Senator Kyl’s position which plays a significant role in the issue. The author depicts the current situation in Washington D.C. as a political struggle between two camps opposing and supporting The Start Treaty. The language of the article is more neutral and is full of political vocabulary (“escalate ratification”, “reach an agreement”, “failure to ratify the treaty”, “to abandon a nuclear program”).

                        The two articles give a clear view of the situation and suggest Mr. Obama give proper consideration to the matter. It seems a rather complicated task since G.O.P. gained majority in The House.