Op-ed: Transform U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy

On August 24th 2009, ACA Executive Director Daryl Kimball wrote an op-ed on the future of U.S. nuclear weapons, which appeared in Defense News. Below is an excerpt.

"The U.S.-Soviet standoff that gave rise to tens of thousands of nuclear weapons is over, but the policies developed to justify their possession and potential use remain largely the same. As the administration of President Barack Obama works to complete the congressionally mandated Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) by year's end, it is clear to most that yesterday's nuclear doctrines are no longer appropriate for today's realities.

In an April address in Prague, Obama called for 'an end to Cold War thinking' and declared that the United States will 'reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy.'

Unfortunately, two previous post-Cold War efforts to update the U.S. nuclear posture fell woefully short. Over the past two decades, deployed arsenals have been significantly reduced, yet Washington and Moscow each deploy more than 2,200 strategic warheads, mainly to deter an attack by the other. Policies still call for the possible use of nuclear weapons to defend U.S. forces and allies against conventional attacks and counter chemical or biological threats."