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WASHINGTON — For the first time in 15 years, U.S. officials have lost their ability to inspect Russian long-range nuclear bases, where they had become accustomed to peering into missile silos, counting warheads and whipping out tape measures to size up rockets.
The inspections had occurred every few weeks under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. But when START expired in December, the checks stopped.
The Obama administration hopes the inspections will soon resume under the New START agreement, which was signed by the countries in April. But the pact is on hold in the Senate.
