The Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee has sent a letter to National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien saying he has seen reports that President Trump's Administration may be preparing to leave the Open Skies Treaty. This international agreement allows signatories to fly largely unrestricted aerial surveillance missions over each other's territory using approved aircraft and sensors and with monitors from the host country on board. The deal has drawn criticism from certain members of Congress and other U.S. government officials over the years who argue that Russia has been abusing its terms. Proponents have, in turn, highlighted the immense benefits it offers in terms of transparency and accountability, especially for smaller member states. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, a Democrat Party Representative from New York, sent the missive to O'Brien on Oct. 7, 2019. In it, he vociferously defends the Treaty, which dates, in principle, back to 1955 and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Soviets, however, rejected the proposal and it wasn't until 1989 that President George H.W. Bush signed the agreement. However, it wasn't until 2002 that the deal actually entered force. Today, there are 34 countries party to the treaty. The Open Skies Consultative Commission, under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), manages its implementation, including the setting of annual quotas outlining how many times member countries are allowed to overfly each other.

"I am deeply concerned by reports that the Trump Administration is considering withdrawing from the Open Skies Treaty and strongly urge you against such a reckless action," Engel writes. "Withdrawal risks dividing the transatlantic alliance and would further undermine America's reliability as a stable and predictable partner when it comes to European security." You can read the full letter below:

House Foreign Affairs Committee

House Foreign Affairs Committee

Engel does not elaborate on what reports he is referring to or where he heard them. A cursory search of available news reporting on Open Skies does not yield any recent news reports that the treaty is in any kind of imminent jeopardy. The State Department did say that it couldn't comment on "deliberative matters" when The War Zone asked if there were any plans to leave the agreement or if the OSCE had been notified of the U.S. government's intention to do so. The language in Engel's letter would seem to suggest that he is also attempting to ascertain whether or not these reports are accurate and, if so, how close the Trump Administration is to actually pulling out of the deal. "If the Administration is indeed considering a change of status on the Treaty, it must be part of a transparent process that includes a thorough interagency review and consultation with Congress, and that provides other signatories a clear understanding of your intentions. To my knowledge, the Administration has not held significant consultations with our allies and partners on this matter," the New York congressman continues. "Such consultations are a prerequisite to successfully navigate any major policy shift with the Treaty." The ostensible objective of the Open Skies treaty is to enable signatories to monitor each other's military activities. The core idea is that if member states can monitor and verify what foreign militaries are doing, it is less likely that they will mistake certain maneuvers for preparations for some sort of hostile action. This then prevents that sort of confusion from escalating into an actual war. Member states, as well as the OSCE itself, have also employed the treaty's various provisions to monitor compliance with ceasefires and peace deals. "Observation flights under the Treaty have generated additional information regarding Russian military action in Ukraine and provided a check on further Russian aggression there," Engel notes in his letter. "NATO allies and partners, and Ukraine in particular, have repeatedly stressed the importance of the Open Skies Treaty for their efforts to monitor Russia's military."

Bomberpilot via Wikimedia An Antonov An-30 that Ukraine uses for Open Skies missions.