Related Concerns
White House Is Rethinking Nuclear Policy
February 28, 2010
By DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKER
From the New York Times
WASHINGTON — As President Obama begins making final decisions on a broad new nuclear strategy for the United States, senior aides say he will permanently reduce America’s arsenal by thousands of weapons. But the administration has rejected proposals that the United States declare it would never be the first to use nuclear weapons, aides said.
Mr. Obama’s new strategy — which would annul or reverse several initiatives by the Bush administration — will be contained in a nearly completed document called the Nuclear Posture Review, which all presidents undertake. Aides said Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates will present Mr. Obama with several options on Monday to address unresolved issues in that document, which have been hotly debated within the administration.
First among them is the question of whether, and how, to narrow the circumstances under which the United States will declare it might use nuclear weapons — a key element of nuclear deterrence since the cold war.
Mr. Obama’s decisions on nuclear weapons come as conflicting pressures in his defense policy are intensifying. His critics argue that his embrace of a new movement to eliminate nuclear weapons around the world is naïve and dangerous, especially at a time of new nuclear threats, particularly from Iran and North Korea. But many of his supporters fear that over the past year he has moved too cautiously, and worry that he will retain the existing American policy by leaving open the possibility that the United States might use nuclear weapons in response to a biological or chemical attack, perhaps against a nation that does not possess a nuclear arsenal.
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Top Officer Urges Limit on Mission of Military
To a degree, this is an encouraging statement from Adm. Mullen, but part of the problem he discusses, “the military receives vast resources – and then is asked to do even more,” is a chicken and egg scenario. Part of the reason that the military is able to receive and spend and then be asked to use such vast resources is the result of less-than-wholesome behavior from current and former senior officers making their treks through the infamous revolving door. Click on the revolving door link, there, for recommendations from Sen Bernie Sanders and Defense Analyst William Hartung on how we can help Adm Mullen hone his arguments.
On the whole, though, this statement makes me a optimistic about the opportunities that are becoming available with the incoming administration.
The New York Times
By THOM SHANKER
1/12/2009
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that senior officers must work to prevent the militarization of American foreign policy, and he urged generals and admirals to tell civilian leaders when they believed the armed forces should not take the lead in carrying out policies overseas.
Adm. Mike Mullen, who as chairman is the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, also called for more money and personnel to be devoted to the civilian agencies responsible for diplomacy and overseas economic development.
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