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| A Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-214ON at Ramenskoye Airport (UUBW) |
The Obama administration has scheduled a deputies committee meeting this week tentatively set for Tuesday to resolve a bitter inter-agency dispute over a request from Russia with respect to the Open Skies program. Informed sources believe the White House is likely to side with the State Department, which wants to accommodate Russia, over the objections of the Obama administration's Defense Department and intelligence agencies.
The Open Skies treaty allows the United States and Russia to fly over each other's territory with planes loaded with certain agreed-upon sensor packages, in order to ensure compliance with arms control agreements and to provide assurance against preparations for various military surprises.
Russia has asked the U.S. to agree to an upgrade in the sensor package their planes can carry. The request would apparently result in a significant increase in Russian spying capabilities. The first response from Pentagon was, according to one government official close to the situation. You've got to be kidding.
But the State Department has been making the case for acceding to the Russians' demands, and the White House seems to be on State's side. The White House has also stonewalled requests for information from the congressional intelligence committees.
