A Safe, Secure and Dwindling Arsenal

From today's New York Times editorial page:

The Obama administration is studying whether to move the nation’s huge nuclear weapons production and maintenance complex from the Energy Department, its host for more than two decades, to the Defense Department. The more important question is how it can best contribute to a safe reduction of the nuclear arsenal.

Amen to that.

A good first step would be Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. For background on the treaty, see the newly-updated Congressional Research Service report, "Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments."

But first, shouldn't we get current on our dues?! From the CRS report's executive summary:

U.S. voting rights in the CTBT Organization Preparatory Commission were suspended on January 1, 2009, for not paying enough dues.

Yet another example of lame-duck inaction requiring swift action.

"What a Year it Might Be"

Gary Hart's Dec. 31st, 2008 editorial in the Huffington Post joins the growing chorus calling for abolition of nuclear weapons. From the piece:

Even as the new president and administration struggle to restructure and transform the American economy in 2009, consider this possibility: 2009 could be the year when the two former Cold warriors, America and Russia, decide to make dramatic reductions in nuclear weapons and convene an international conference of all nuclear nations to agree to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons from the face of the earth.

Do you prefer your calls for nuclear zero when they come from Cold War conservatives? Then check out the January 2007 article "A World Free of Nuclear Weapons," by George P. Shultz, William J. Perry, Henry A. Kissinger and Sam Nunn. Here's a snip:

First and foremost should be intensive work with leaders of the countries in possession of nuclear weapons to turn the goal of a world without nuclear weapons into a joint enterprise. Such a joint enterprise, by involving changes in the disposition of the states possessing nuclear weapons, would lend additional weight to efforts already under way to avoid the emergence of a nuclear-armed North Korea and Iran.

Happy New Year. Let's join the efforts to make it nuclear free.

More Support for Ratifying a Comprehensive Test Ban

The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation has just published a report summarizing their consultations on nuclear arms control and non-proliferation under the Obama administration, called Strengthening U.S. Security Through Non-Proliferation and Arms Control: Recommendations for the Obama Administration from 60 U.S. and international security policy experts.

Here are the top three recommendations from the executive summary:

• Provide a new direction on nuclear weapons policy that emphasizes “minimum deterrence,” extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), and signal intent to pursue negotiations with Russia on further reductions.
• Issue a statement explaining a new vision for nuclear weapons policy and guidance for the 2009 Nuclear Posture Review. The statement should include the intent to pursue nuclear weapons reductions and a reiteration that the only role for nuclear weapons is “minimum deterrence” – deterring the use of nuclear weapons against the United States or U.S. allies.
• Extend START I and begin bilateral negotiations with Russia on further permanent, legally-binding, and verifiable reductions toward a goal of 1,000 deployed and non-deployed nuclear weapons per side or fewer. Send a special envoy to Russia or appoint a working group to signal U.S. intent to maintain verification provisions and move toward reductions.

• Announce intent to secure all vulnerable fissile material in four years as the best way to reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism. Accelerate and prioritize these efforts accordingly and appoint a senior official to coordinate threat reduction efforts.

• Announce intent to seek ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and begin working to build the bipartisan support in the Senate needed for approval.

Good points to make in that FCNL-sponsored email we mentioned the other day (if you haven't sent it already!).

Urge Obama to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons (FCNL)

During his campaign, Barack Obama said that as president he would "set a new direction in U.S. nuclear weapons policy" and "work to ultimately eliminate all nuclear weapons."

Urge President-Elect Obama to act on this promise by securing Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. This treaty prohibits all nuclear test explosions and is essential to any effort to prevent the development of new generations of nuclear weapons.

Visit FCNL's Legislative Alert to send an e-mail or fax.