Failing Nonproliferation Efforts

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Registered: 11-11-1999
Failing Nonproliferation Efforts
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 4:44pm
The greatest danger facing the United States today is the threat of terrorists armed with nuclear weapons. A new report by the Center for American Progress titled "Failing Grades: America's Security Three Years After 9/11" gives the Bush administration an "F" for efforts to stop the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and materials. In fact, the report shows the Bush White House has actually gone backward in attempts to control access to weapons-grade nuclear materials worldwide. Instead of aggressively curbing the spread of nuclear weapons, the administration's policies have "encouraged other countries to take up the challenge of a new nuclear arms race" while increasing the likelihood that terrorists and rogue nations will access nuclear materials. As Harvard's Graham Allison says: "If we just keep doing what we are doing, a nuclear terrorist attack is inevitable." (American Progress has an in-depth look at how the lack of leadership from the White House is impeding global nonproliferation efforts.)

THE RECORD: According to a recent Harvard University report titled "Securing the Bomb: An Agenda for Action," "less fissile materials were secured in the two years after Sept 11 than in the two years before." In addition, the Carnegie Endowment for Peace warns, "since the invasion of Iraq, we have spent $200 billion on the war, but only $2 billion on securing the nuclear bomb materials we know al Qaeda has sought and may still seek."

SHORTCHANGING GLOBAL EFFORTS: Two years ago, the United States joined other G-8 countries in creating an international effort to fight the threat of WMD. The White House pledged $10 billion, to be matched by the other seven nations. Since then, only a fraction of the pledged funds have been allocated. As chair of the group in 2003, President Bush failed to advance this program. President Bush actually proposed cutting funds for the so-called Nunn-Lugar program – a proven success that to date has deactivated "6,312 nuclear warheads; 537 ICBMs; 459 ICBM silos; 11 ICBM mobile missile launchers; 128 bombers; 708 nuclear air-to-surface missiles; 408 submarine missile launchers; 496 submarine launched missiles; 27 nuclear submarines; and 194 nuclear test tunnels." Also, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan are nuclear weapons-free as a result of cooperative efforts under the Nunn-Lugar program.

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=100480#2

dablacksox


Cynic: a blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.---Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary.