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Republican Senate candidate Mike Lee has done an about-face from his previous support for a nuclear weapons test ban treaty.

Lee had said in May he likely would vote to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. He said at the time he believed it would benefit U.S. strategic interests and opt-out language in the treaty could allow the United States to resume testing if it became necessary.

"I don't think we need [nuclear testing] and I think, on the whole, we as Americans would be safer if that treaty were in place," Lee said at the time.

Now Lee's campaign says he would not support the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty if he is elected to the Senate in November.

"When he really looked into it, it was basically not just a test ban. The verbiage was weapons detonation, so it was basically [stating] you could never use a nuclear weapon," deputy campaign manager Dan Hauser said Thursday. "We really went through the actual treaty and came out thinking there was no way we could sign onto this."

President Bill Clinton signed the test-ban treaty in 1996, but the Senate failed to ratify it. Both Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett voted against the treaty.

The analysis of the treaty submitted to Congress prior to the Senate's failed vote stated there was no prohibition on using a nuclear weapon.

"The obligation 'not to carry out any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion' does not place limitations on the ability of the United States to use nuclear weapons," the analysis said.

The United States had insisted the use of nuclear weapons was not covered by the treaty and previous treaties that used the same language did not ban use of weapons in wartime, the analysis said.

Lee's prior support for the CTBT was already a significant shift for the candidate, who had earlier said he would support renewed nuclear weapons testing. He had signed the "Peace Through Strength" pledge supported by several conservative organizations that specifically called for renewed nuclear weapons tests.

"When Mike Lee announced support for the CTBT in the primaries, many felt optimistic that he would be a senator who would stand up for our health, safety and security," said Vanessa Pierce, executive director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah. "One trip to D.C. later, he's already compromised himself."

Marla Kennedy, campaign manager for Democratic Senate candidate Sam Granato, said Granato "absolutely supports" the CTBT. "Sam doesn't believe there is any need for further testing of the nuclear weapons that we have," she said.

Kennedy blasted Lee for changing his stance.

"He's doing what we always thought he would have to do: He'd have to back-pedal, he'd have to flip-flop, and he'd have to be less than truthful when running in a general election against a mainstream, moderate, common-sense opponent," she said.

The issue of nuclear weapons testing is sensitive in Utah, where thousands of people were stricken with cancer resulting from hundreds of Cold War weapons tests in Nevada. They include Lee's father, Rex Lee.

The United States hasn't conducted a nuclear weapons test since 1992, when President George H.W. Bush imposed a moratorium.

A Senate committee this week put off a vote on another nuclear arms treaty -- The New START Treaty, which seeks to reduce the number of deployed warheads -- until fall.

A vote on the CTBT could follow next year, when either Lee or Granato will be Utah's new senator.