Take Action: Tell President Obama to End Cold War Thinking

President Obama On April 5, 2009, President Barack Obama delivered a stirring address in Prague pledging to “put an end to Cold War thinking” by “reduc[ing] the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy.”

Obama’s 2010 “Nuclear Posture Review” says that “the fundamental role of U.S. nuclear forces is to deter nuclear attacks against the U.S. and our allies and partners.”

The President soon will make decisions that could put those words in action. His review of the post-NPR options should lead to a fundamental rewrite of previous presidential guidance on nuclear employment policy, nuclear targeting, and the size and structure of U.S. nuclear forces. Reports indicate the White House is considering options that could open the way for U.S. proposals for “steep cuts” in deployed nuclear weapons.

Please join thousands of others by adding your name to the following petition to President Obama to make good on his pledge to “put an end to Cold War thinking” and to pursue dramatic nuclear weapons reductions that would make us all safer.

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for supporting the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons and for pledging to “put an end to outdated Cold War thinking.” In the 21st century, nuclear weapons are a global security liability, not an asset. You must act now to reduce the nuclear danger and the role of nuclear weapons.

In the coming weeks, I urge you to end outdated U.S. nuclear war-fighting strategy, dramatically reduce the number of U.S. nuclear weapons and the number of submarines, missiles, and bombers that carry those weapons, and take U.S. nuclear weapons off high alert. Maintaining large numbers of nuclear forces on alert increases the risk of accident or miscalculation.

By taking these steps, you will facilitate reductions in Russia’s nuclear arsenal, encourage other nuclear-armed countries to join in reductions, and move us closer to a world free of nuclear weapons.

Signed,