Defense Secretary Aims to Revive Bunker-Buster Nuke Study

NTI Global Security Newswire ^ | 2/1/2005 | NTI staff

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is pressing for funding to restart the study of the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, the Washington Post reported today (see GSN, Dec. 16, 2004).

“I think we should request funds in FY06 and FY07 to complete the study,” Rumsfeld wrote in a Jan. 10 memo to then-Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. “Our staffs have spoken about funding the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator study to support its completion by April 2007.”

A Defense Department spokesman yesterday confirmed the contents of the memo, saying the Pentagon “supports completion of the study” of the bunker-buster nuclear weapon.

The Bush administration’s budget for fiscal 2006, scheduled for release next week, is expected to include $10.3 million to resume study of the weapon, an Energy Department official said yesterday.

Representative David Hobson (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee, last year led successful efforts to eliminate funding for the bunker-buster study in 2005.

“Until we see the budget request, it is premature to comment on what might or might not be in it,” a Hobson spokesman said yesterday.

“The administration is missing a key opportunity to make good on the congressional decision last year if it were to renew funding of the study,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association. “It sends the wrong signal to the international community on the U.S. approach on nonproliferation, and Congress may again reject the request” (Walter Pincus, Washington Post, Feb. 1).

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Rummy made a good call here.

[claudiustg]

Another excellent Rummy decision!

[Mad Mammoth]

ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY!

This is something even the environmentalists should be supporting, after all - who could possibly be opposed to the concept of keeping Hiroshima/Nagasaki-sizeed damage below ground, and avoiding atmospheric contamination, while eliminating the toxic social pollution caused by maggots like Kim Jong ILL and other tin-horn dictators of his ilk?

[Sonny M]

Somebody has been remembering there Goldwater teachings well.

[skinkinthegrass]

Kewl!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Smokin'!!

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld (shown in a Jan. 26
photo with Senator John Warner (R-Va.)
has expressed support for completing
a study into nuclear bunker-busting bombs
(AFP photo/Brendan Smialowski).

[Mind-numbed Robot]

...who could possibly be opposed ...

Well, it seems Rep. Hobson from Ohio is one.

[Mad Mammoth]

...who could possibly be opposed ...
Well, it seems Rep. Hobson from Ohio is one.

Hobson? Oh well, you can't eat corn on the cob at a picnic without a few kernels showing up later in the toilet bowl.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

From the article:

Representative David Hobson (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee, last year led successful efforts to eliminate funding for the bunker-buster study in 2005.

[familyop]

Well, it's like this. We Yankees can develop nice, new, quiet penetrators, or we can use the good, old cratering devices when the time comes to use one or the other. I'm all for letting the complaining world decide (in favor of my favorite old devices), but then I'm not as nice as our Secretary of Defense. I think our older ones make the sky prettier.

[Mad Mammoth]

Representative David Hobson (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee, last year led successful efforts to eliminate funding for the bunker-buster study in 2005.

(R)?!?!?

'R' my azz!!

Hobson needs to be taken to the damn woodshed and beeotchslapped a few dozen times until he sees the light.

If he doesn't wise up, bounce him out of the GOP, we've got enough of a majority in the House that we can throw a RINO to the 'Rats and not even skip a beat.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Rumsfeld bump!!

[nuclady]

Thanks for posting that pic!! My favorite. I stood on the platform overlooking this thing, and it was awesome.

[Red6]

It's needed.

We can't penetrate deep enough so we need a blast large enough to still have the desired affect. It's hard to pound deep into the earth.

Red6