UK Trident Missile
Posted on 07/09/2009 4:58:59 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Britain is ready to cut its number of nuclear warheads as part of global deal to persuade Iran and North Korea to give up the arms race, PM Gordon Brown has said.
The Prime Minister said US-brokered talks next year could pave the way for the UK to reduce its 160-warhead arsenal in return for proof from would-be nuclear states they had stopped their weapons programmes.
Speaking at a G8 summit in Italy, Mr Brown insisted there was no question of abandoning plans to replace the Trident weapons system.
UK Trident Missile
But he signalled the number of British warheads and nuclear-armed submarines could be reduced as part of a new international agreement.
He said: "What we need is collective action by the nuclear weapons powers to say that we are prepared to reduce our nuclear weapons, but we need assurances also that other countries will not proliferate them."
Barack Obama, the US president, has invited as many as 30 nations to nuclear talks in Washington next March. The White House said the talks would focus on preventing the spread of nuclear material to rogue states and terrorist groups.
But Mr Brown said the meeting could also help draw up a replacement to the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
He said: "The whole point of a non-proliferation treaty is those who have weapons will be looking at reducing them as far as possible."
Speaking in L'Aquila, Italy, Mr Brown gave no details on the scale of any cuts in the British deterrent.
However, a 2006 Government White Paper on replacing Trident committed Britain to reducing the number of warheads to fewer than 160.
The Government has never specified what the new number will be, and precise figures have been kept confidential.
However, Britain's operational nuclear deterrent is routinely
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Who needs nukes, afterall, the Eurotopian Union offers "collective security" and the Rooskies are commrades.
Hmmm. I don't see Sarkozy offering up any of his inventory.
Nuclear disarmament by the developed nations is an even greater incentive for North Korea and Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
If Britain disarms it means their warheads won’t fall into Jihad hands when they inevitably take over on birth rates. I say they unilaterally disarm!
I’m inclined to second that.
France too.
Tragically, you're correct.
“...part of global deal to persuade Iran and North Korea to give up the arms race...”
Yes, leading by example has ALWAYS persuaded rogue nations to be better neighbors.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Exactly. Our leaders are so clueless, its breathtaking. Despite thousands of years of history to the contrary, they think weakness will guarantee them peace. That’s what happens when you listen to know nothing, “peace studies” types, instead of people who actually study military history. Sadly, there are former warriors participating in this charade (like Gen Jones) who should know better. The next big war will probably involve nuclear weapons. Our misguided policies are making this more, not less likely.
Kellogg Briand Pact II. (The 1928 Kellogg Briand Pact was an agreement to outlaw war, ultimately ratified by 62 nations. Its effectiveness was vitiated by its failure to provide methods of enforcement.)
What idiots.
UNgland might as well get rid of them all since they don't have the balls to use them anyway...
Right. The commanders in Afghanistan say they require “thousands” of more troops to perform the mission. General Jones delivered Obama’s answer: “No.” This is a political decision.
This is how Clinton screwed up in Somalia. His Secretary of Defense Les Aspen removed an armored unit and other assets from Somalia over the local commander's protest. When the Rangers got trapped in Mogadishu there was no good way to extract them without those tanks. Aspen was forced to resign after “Blackhawk Down.”
The potential for catastrophe or quagmire increases whenever politicians start second guessing commanders on the ground.
Yeah. The maddening thing about Jones is that he has a military background and should know better. Some former generals can’t stand being out-of-the-loop and will sell their souls to get back in the game.
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