Natalie Bailey/MNS
Secretaries Robert Gates, Hillary Clinton and Steven Chu combined forces for the interagency Nuclear Posture Review. The administration presented the new plan Tuesday.
WASHINGTON –- In a sweeping overhaul of U.S. nuclear policy, the administration unveiled its plan Tuesday to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security.
The Nuclear Posture Review represents a transformation of the way in which the U.S. approaches nuclear issues, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a briefing at the Pentagon.
For the first time, the U.S. has stated it will not use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states that are party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and in compliance with their obligations, she said.
A year in the making, the document is the result of an interagency discussion led by the Department of Defense and spurred by President Barack Obama’s agenda to reverse decades of policy.
“The review rightly places the prevention of nuclear terrorism and proliferation at the top of the nuclear policy agenda,” Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said. “Given al-Qaida’s continuing quest for nuclear weapons, Iran’s ongoing nuclear efforts and North Korea’s proliferation, this focus is appropriate and indeed an essential change from previous reviews.”
Those nations that fail to meet their obligations will find themselves more isolated, and will recognize that the pursuit of nuclear weapons will not make them more secure, the president said in a memo the White House released Tuesday.
“We are recalibrating our priorities to prevent nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism and we are reducing the role and number of weapons in our arsenal while maintaining a safe, secure, effective deterrent to protect our nation, allies and partners,” Clinton said.
According to the review, the United States will not develop new nuclear weapons, will not support new nuclear missions and will not support new nuclear capabilities. Nuclear activity will be based on previously tested designs and strong preference will be placed on options of refurbishment or reuse, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said.
Gates has asked for nearly $5 billion to be transferred to the Department of Energy over the next several years to rebuild the aging infrastructure, he said.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said he fully supported the review, emphasizing the preservation of the existing nuclear arsenal, as well as proper training to be sure the U.S. stays on the cutting edge.
“We must recruit and then retain the scientific expertise to advance our technological edge in nuclear weaponry,” he said. “Without such improvements, an aging nuclear force supported by a neglected infrastructure only invites enemy misbehavior and miscalculation.”
Obama is scheduled to sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia in Prague Thursday, and nearly 50 countries are planned to gather in Washington for a Nuclear Security Summit April 12 and 13.
Further discussion about the review is anticipated once it reaches Congress for approval.