New U.S. Nuclear Weapons Guidance: Not Bold Enough

June 19, 2013 | 12:53 pm
Lisbeth Gronlund
Former Contributor

President Obama gave a speech in Berlin today that included a paragraph about nuclear weapons:

“We may no longer live in fear of global annihilation, but so long as nuclear weapons exist, we are not truly safe… Peace with justice means pursuing the security of a world without nuclear weapons, no matter how distant that dream may be. And so as president, I’ve strengthened our efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and reduce the number and role of America’s nuclear weapons. Because of the New START Treaty, we’re on track to cut American and Russian deployed nuclear warheads to their lowest levels since the 1950s. But we have more work to do. So today, I’m announcing additional steps forward. After a comprehensive review, I’ve determined that we can ensure the security of America and our allies–and maintain a strong and credible strategic deterrent–while reducing our deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one-third. And I intend to seek negotiated cuts with Russia to move beyond Cold War nuclear postures. At the same time, we’ll work with our NATO allies to seek bold reductions in U.S. and Russian tactical weapons in Europe.”

The White House also issued a fact sheet that gives more detail about the new Nuclear Weapons Employment Strategy.

My statement in response to these developments is here.