Posted on 12/29/2001 12:16:23 AM PST by rdavis84
12/27 17:45
Bush Seeking Funding Boost for Russia Nuclear Nonproliferation
By Heidi Przybyla
Crawford, Texas, Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush wants to boost funding to help Russia consolidate nuclear weapons material, a step designed to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction, a White House statement said.
The U.S. will beef up four of 30 different programs it operates -- totaling $750 million in fiscal 2001 -- that focus on reducing nuclear warheads and the threat of bioterrorism, the statement said. It didn't say how much the president would request in the budget he sends Congress in February.
Today's announcement builds on Bush's pledge earlier this month at the Citadel in South Carolina to seek new funds to help the former U.S. adversary dismantle its nuclear arsenal.
``There was a debate within the administration as to whether they should continue to help the Russians with'' securing nuclear weapons material, said Anthony Cordesman, a specialist in terrorism at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Today's announcement ``represents a clear commitment by the Bush administration,'' given that the program was started under the former Democratic President Bill Clinton, Cordesman said.
Additional funds will also be directed toward helping Russian biotechnology scientists find new jobs, and toward maintaining an international science and technology center, the White House statement said.
Cost-Cutting
The Bush administration will attempt to offset some of the cost of increases to these programs by clipping funding to its Russian plutonium disposal program, shifting to the Energy Department the Defense Department's project to end Russian production of weapons-grade plutonium, and restructuring Energy Department programs to help Russia cut its nuclear warheads.
Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin promised in November to slash their countries' nuclear arsenals by about two- thirds. Bush said the U.S. would reduce its stockpile to between 1,700 and 2,000 warheads. Putin said Russia would make cuts of a similar proportion.
Yesterday Bush traded holiday greetings with Putin from his 1,600-acre Texas ranch, where the two leaders met last month to discuss Bush's plans to withdraw from the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty. Over Russian opposition on Dec. 12, Bush announced the ABM pullout, saying the two nations were no longer enemies.
Bush spent today receiving intelligence and national security briefings, running three miles and planting an oak tree given to him by White House staff.
``It's just an opportunity for him to come home'' and relax during the holidays, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. Bush plans to stay at the ranch through this weekend with the exception of a possible trip to church, McClellan said.
The president plans a couple of day trips next week, McClellan said, giving no details.
That ought to work out great!
Bump.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/594885/posts?page=190#190
A good example is the billions o' bucks we gave the Soviets to dismantle some of their nukes, why not just let them die on their own of "untendeditis"?
What, that program Bubba the Hutt sponsored, that sent a gazillion dollars into various Russian notables' Swiss bank accounts? The one that didn't result in a single nuke being verifiably disarmed? The one that Bubba insisted be kept going despite the evidence it didn't do a damn thing for us? The one that some eager beavers at DIA found out was actually paying for maintenance on the warheads in question, PREVENTING them from dying of untendeditis? THAT program? A weak reed to base your argument on, good sir.
190 posted on 12/28/01 8:03 AM Central by Poohbah
Our Tax Dollars at Work!
You KNOW how you get when a tiny little thing goes wrong in our Wonderful Government. I hate to be the one to upset you.
But actually, I thought more on the lines of Hamburger.
I guess I missed out on the voting to create that new agency. Dang.
I wonder if there's any combination of letters that haven't been used yet for an acronym?
I don't agree with EVERYTHING Dubya does, but on the whole he's doing a far better job than Clinton ever did. This is one of the things I disagree with.
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