Obama's Nuclear Posture Review is "unconvincing
balancing act": BASIC Executive Director
BASIC Press Release
Tuesday, 6 April 2010 - IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Obama Administration today published
its Nuclear Posture Review, sold as an indication of the reduced
but continuing US reliance on nuclear forces for global deterrence
and assurance. Paul Ingram, BASIC's Executive Director described
the document as "an unconvincing balancing act."
"The Review is a step in the right direction
to reducing the role of nuclear weapons in US security, but
stops far short of transformational policy. It was not going
to be enough to reaffirm the vision of a world free of nuclear
weapons. What flesh was put on the bones, such as strengthened
security guarantees to non-nuclear weapon states, commitments
not to test or produce new nuclear weapons, and reduced numbers
of warheads in reserve was weakened by the attachment to nuclear
deterrence. There's no real indication of the deep shifts
in thinking necessary to begin giving up the nuclear fix."
Concerning the future of the estimated 200
US tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, which are Cold War
relics with no military purpose, Paul Ingram said that the
Nuclear Posture Review was "disappointing." "It
is difficult to see from the text what incentive NATO has
to pursue alliance-wide consultations to seek their removal,
although the administration does leave the door open slightly
by saying that all options are open," he said.
He also noted that the United States intends
to pursue negotiations on these weapons in bilateral talks
with Russia — but only after ratification of the New
START treaty which is unlikely to happen before the end of
the year. "So it is to be hoped that NATO shows the leadership
which the Obama administration apparently lacked for its own
nuclear review," he said.
The US Nuclear Posture Review is available
online: http://www.defense.gov/npr/docs/2010%20Nuclear%20
Posture%20Review%20Report.pdf
Contact:
Paul Ingram, Executive Director
+44 (0)7908 708175
pingram (at) basicint.org
Anne Penketh, Program Director
+1 202-570-6701
apenketh (at) basicint.org
ENDS
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