Posted on 05/12/2009 12:13:47 PM PDT by MattAMiller
Obama's new budget plan includes a little-noted sea change in U.S. nuclear policy, and a step towards his vision of a denuclearized world. It provides no funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead program, created to design a new generation of long-lasting nuclear weapons that don't need to be tested. (The military is worried that a nuclear test moratorium in effect since 1992 might endanger the reliability of an aging US arsenal.) But this spring Obama issued a bold call for a world free of nuclear weapons, and part of that vision entails leading by example. That means halting programs that expand the American nuclear stockpile. For the past two budget years the Democratic Congress has refused to fund the Bush-era program. But Obama's budget kills the National Nuclear Security Administration program once and for all.
"My colleagues just stared at that line," says Joe Cirincione, a longtime nonproliferation expert and president of the Ploughshares Fund. "They had never seen anything like that." Killing the program, he said, was "the first programmatic impact of the new [zero nukes] policy. People have said they want to see more than words, this is the very first action." Here's the relevant language from Obama's budget explaining the thinking behind the move:
In the upcoming year, NNSA will participate in the national debate to lay out a vision for our nation’s nuclear security and non-proliferation goals. This vision is based on the reality that nuclear security is not just about warheads and the size of the stockpile. The vision emphasizes that we must increase our focus on nuclear security and transforming the Cold War nuclear weapons complex into a 21st century national security enterprise. We must ensure our evolving strategic posture places the stewardship of our nuclear arsenal, nonproliferation programs, missile defenses, and the international arms control objectives into one comprehensive strategy that protects the American people and our allies.
One particularly interesting angle here: Obama has overruled his secretary of defense, Robert Gates, who has been pushing for months to maintain the warhead program. Last October, Gates warned that
"[t]o be blunt, there is absolutely no way we can maintain a credible deterrent and reduce the number of weapons in our stockpile without resorting to testing our stockpile or pursuing a modernization program."
But even though "modernization" has now been halted, Obama will almost certainly not resume nuclear testing. So one has to presume Gates is not a happy camper on this score.
One of the things I have been most angry at Bush about, was his failure to make issues like this front and center. Effectively, he allowed the program to be cut under him, and did nothing about it.
At least he could have made a big stink about it. Did he do that? I sure don't remember it. Perhaps he did, and if so someone should correct me.
Failing that, this is another nail in the coffin of his legacy IMO.
This program is of vital importance to the safety of the United States, and anyone who would facilitate it's end, is not fit to be President.
I could have sworn there was a UAV program that was also cut.
President Baltar Obama.
“Obama Breaks With Gates, Cancels Nuke Program”
Blockhead!
He is NOT upholding his oath to protect our nation. He needs to be impeached. !!! N-O-W !
By whom? The Democratically Controlled Congress?
Don’t be silly!
He is NOT upholding his oath to protect our nation. He needs to be impeached. !!! N-O-W !
By whom? The Democratically Controlled Congress?
Don’t be silly!
Worse then Benedict Arnold.
Hussein is getting us ready for the coming attack.
Obama Cancels Nuke Program (Effectively begins dismantling of Nuclear Arsenal)
This should make the anti war Paul, Baldwin & Sanford Libertarians on FR happy
Actually, the Democrat Congress is the only entity that would impeach and remove him.
When they think he is costing them votes, they will get rid of him fast.
Baltar (either one) is a human who betrays humanity to their enemies in the Battlestar Galactica shows. Far worse than Benedict Arnold.
No. This is a leap of faith that the rest of the world will disarm. It strictly serves to lower America's strength. Strength which won the Cold War against Soviet Communism.
Then again, the American Reds never saw Uncle Joe Stalin to be a threat, even when he was murdering tens of millions and using spies in America.
Amen! I keep hearing Washington Pundits saying how Obama campaigned as a centrist but now is governing as a leftist. Huh! Were they actually listening?
If anything he campaigned as a leftist and is governing as a socialist.
To: Give up, don't care
The Russians and the Chinese are licking their chops. They are modernizing and increasing their nuclear weapons capabilities while we are doing this.
In case you survive the coming first strike, I suggest purchasing Rosetta Stone and getting ahead of the curve by learning to speak Mandarin.
This is simply breathtaking. I don’t really know what to say, other than “lock and load”.
He is INSANE!!! I think the time has come.
Duck and cover...
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