Obama Administration Considers Strategic And Responsible Nuclear Arsenal Cuts ...
22.05.12
The Obama administration is weighing options
for sharp new cuts to the U.S. nuclear force, including a reduction of up to 80
percent in the number of deployed weapons, The Associated Press has learned.
Even the most modest option now under
consideration would be an historic and politically bold disarmament step in a
presidential election year, although the plan is in line with President Barack
Obama's 2009 pledge to pursue the elimination of nuclear weapons.
No final decision has been made, but the
administration is considering at least three options for lower total numbers of
deployed strategic nuclear weapons cutting to: 1,000 to 1,100; 700 to 800, and
300 to 400, according to a former government official and a congressional
staffer. Both spoke on condition of anonymity in order to reveal internal
administration deliberations.
The potential cuts would be from a current
treaty limit of 1,550 deployed strategic warheads.
A level of 300 deployed strategic nuclear
weapons would take the U.S. back to levels not seen since 1950 when the nation
was ramping up production in an arms race with the Soviet Union. The U.S.
numbers peaked at above 12,000 in the late 1980s and first dropped below 5,000
in 2003.
Source: Media Matters for America