THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
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For Immediate Release
January 5, 2001
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John M.
Shalikashvili and I met this morning to discuss his report concerning the
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The report argues
persuasively that ratifying the CTBT would increase our national security,
and that the security benefits of the Treaty outweigh any perceived
disadvantages.
The report?s recommendations address concerns raised during the
October 1999 Senate debate over CTBT. I urge Congress and the incoming
Bush Administration to act on them.
I also hope the Senate will take up the Treaty at an early date as a
critical component of a bipartisan non-proliferation policy. CTBT is
supported by our friends and allies overseas, and designed to reduce
existing nuclear dangers as well as those that might emerge in the future.
I commend General Shalikashvili for his thorough and rigorous report
and his continued service to the nation.
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