Soviet Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 1991 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Soviet Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 1991

Long title	An Act to amend the Arms Export Control Act to authorize the President to transfer battle tanks, artillery pieces, and armored combat vehicles to member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in conjunction with implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.
Nicknames	Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty Implementation Act of 1991
Enacted by	the 102nd United States Congress
Effective	12 December 1991
Citations
Public law	102-228
Statutes at Large	105 Stat. 1691
Codification
Titles amended	22 U.S.C.: Foreign Relations and Intercourse
U.S.C. sections created	22 U.S.C. ch. 39, subch. IX §§ 2799, 2799a, 2799b, 2799c, 2799d
U.S.C. sections amended	22 U.S.C. ch. 35, subch. I § 2551 22 U.S.C. ch. 35, subch. V § 2595 et seq. 22 U.S.C. ch. 39, subch. I § 2751
Legislative history
Introduced in the House as H.R. 3807 by Dante Fascell (D–FL) on November 19, 1991 Committee consideration by House Foreign Affairs Passed the House on November 19, 1991 (agreed voice vote) Passed the Senate on November 25, 1991 (passed voice vote) with amendment House agreed to Senate amendment on November 27, 1991 (agreed voice vote) Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on December 12, 1991

The Soviet Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 1991 was a special law in the United States. It was created to help manage and reduce military weapons after the Cold War ended. This law allowed the U.S. to help transfer Soviet military gear and weapons to NATO countries. It also helped move Soviet nuclear weapons safely.

This Act was a big part of the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program. This program aimed to secure and dismantle weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. Congress passed this law. President George H. W. Bush signed it on December 12, 1991.

What the Act Did

This law had four main parts, called "titles." The most important ones were about helping NATO and reducing the Soviet nuclear threat.

Helping NATO Countries with Equipment

This part of the law was called the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty Implementation Act of 1991. It gave the U.S. President permission to help NATO countries.

• Why it was important:
  • It made NATO's forces stronger.
  • It helped NATO countries use similar equipment.
  • It shared the costs of defense more fairly among NATO members.

• What could be transferred:
  • Battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, and artillery.
  • These were weapons limited by the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty).
  • The equipment had to be from U.S. military stocks in Europe.
  • The U.S. military had to decide they didn't need these items.

• Keeping Congress informed:
  • The President had to tell Congress before transferring any equipment.
  • The President also had to send a yearly report to Congress.
  • This report listed all transfers and explained how they helped NATO.

Reducing the Soviet Nuclear Threat

This part was called the "Soviet Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 1991." It focused on the dangers of nuclear weapons after the Soviet Union broke apart.

• Why this was needed:
  • Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev asked for Western help.
  • There was a risk of nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands.
  • There was also a danger of nuclear weapons or their parts being sold.
  • It was important to stop nuclear weapons from spreading around the world.

• Goals of the program:
  • To help transport, store, and destroy nuclear and other weapons in the former Soviet Union.
  • To prevent these dangerous weapons from spreading.

• Conditions for U.S. help:
  • The former Soviet republics had to spend their own money on destroying weapons.
  • They could not build new weapons of mass destruction.
  • They had to agree not to use parts of destroyed nuclear weapons for new ones.
  • They had to let the U.S. check that weapons were being destroyed.
  • They also had to follow arms control agreements and human rights rules.

• How the program worked:
  • The President could set up a program to help destroy Soviet weapons.
  • This included nuclear, chemical, and other dangerous weapons.
  • It also covered transporting, storing, and safeguarding these weapons.
  • The program aimed to create ways to check that weapons were not spreading.
  • It used U.S. technology and experts to help.

• Funding the program:
  • Up to $400 million could be moved from the U.S. Department of Defense budget.
  • This money was used to reduce the Soviet military threat.
  • The money could not come from funds needed for military readiness, like training.

• Reporting to Congress:
  • The President had to tell Congress before spending any money.
  • These reports explained what the money would be used for.
  • Quarterly reports were also sent to Congress.
  • These reports detailed how much was spent and what activities were done.

Emergency Aid and Support

This section allowed the U.S. to provide emergency help to the former Soviet Union.

• Why it was important:
  • Conditions in the Soviet Union were unstable.
  • There was a risk of anti-democratic forces returning.
  • Providing humanitarian aid could help prevent this.

• What could be done:
  • Up to $100 million could be used for transport.
  • This money helped send food, medical supplies, and other aid.
  • The aid was sent by military or commercial planes.
  • It went to the former Soviet republics with their permission.
  • This aid was for emergency situations.
  • It did not include construction equipment like bulldozers or generators.

Updating Arms Control Laws

This part of the Act changed the Arms Control and Disarmament Act of 1961.

• What was updated:
  • It helped strengthen the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.
  • It also helped the On-Site Inspection Agency.
  • This agency's job was to check nuclear tests.
  • They monitored treaties like the Threshold Test Ban Treaty.
  • They also checked other arms control agreements.

What Happened Next

After this Act, several important things happened to reduce nuclear threats:

• On December 21, 1991, several former Soviet republics met in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan.
  • Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement.
  • Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus promised to send all their tactical nuclear weapons to Russia by July 1, 1992.
  • Ukraine and Belarus also promised to get rid of strategic nuclear weapons on their land by 1994.
  • They agreed to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as non-nuclear states.
  • The countries agreed that Russia would take the Soviet Union's place on the UN Security Council.

• On June 17, 1992, the U.S. and Russia signed an agreement. This agreement was about safely transporting, storing, and destroying weapons. It also aimed to prevent weapons from spreading.

• On October 2, 1999, another agreement was made between the U.S. and Russia. This one focused on protecting and tracking nuclear materials.

• Later, in 2008, Russia passed a law to extend the 1992 agreement. This showed continued cooperation between the U.S. and Russia on these important safety issues.