A broad, bipartisan consensus is building in the United States on nuclear policy in a promising way for progress in global disarmament.
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s article in the current (Feb 16) issue of Newsweek,“Our Nuclear Nightmare,” is a case in point with positive suggestions on moving forward.
First, on the U.S. and Russia, he notes that the two nuclear superpowers control some “90% of the world’s nuclear weapons.” We must immediately “start negotiations to extend the START I agreement….” START, he adds, is the sole document to “verify and monitor established ceilings on strategic (nuclear) weapons.”
He suggests, as well, that it is time for deeper cuts, below the 1700-2200 weapons for each agreed in the Moscow Treaty. As we know, President Obama recently proposed 1000 warheads each as an interim number, a figure we agree is workable, as do many in the global security community.
Beyond dealing with Russia, the U.S. must develop a new nuclear agenda. That agenda must involve our allies, as “U.S. and NATO policy are internally linked.” On missile defense, Kissinger praises the Russian proposal to the United States and NATO:
“The Russian proposal for a joint missile defense toward the Middle East, including radar sites in southern Russia, has always seemed to me a creative political and strategic answer to a common problem.” (emphasis added)
He notes that we need to work not only with NATO and Russia, but China and others to resolve the possible threats from North Korea and Iran. On the latter, he recommends “negotiations with Iran on a broad front, including the geopolitical aspect.”
Secretary Kissinger’s proposals are welcome and positive. While President Obama has much on his plate, in economic and foreign policy, nothing is more important than moving ahead on improving national and international security. And the President himself has said that eliminating nuclear weapons is a high priority long-term goal.
Kissinger has also been supportive of former Senator Sam Nunn’s Nuclear Threat Initiative. He was present at the East-West Institute
Conference, when U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke in favor of a Nuclear Weapons Convention, to move towards nuclear weapons elimination, and followed that speech with a favorable statement on prompt talks.
Finally, in remarks at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 7, Vice President Joe Biden expressed the administration's desire to make a clean break from the Bush administration - especially on U.S. relations with Russia and Iran - with the hope that it may pay dividends on an array of stalled issues, as reported by the Council for a Livable World.
"During the campaign, Obama talked frequently about his strong stance on nuclear arms control and what we're hearing now shows us that this was not just an empty promise," says John Isaacs, of the Council. "If this talk turns into action, there is potential for significant headway on nuclear non-proliferation."
All of these developments show how things are beginning to change in non-proliferation and nuclear security policy. But there’s much to do to make headway on enforcing the Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York in May, and building Senate support for a Comprehensive Test Ban.
By Ed Aguilar
Ed is executive director of the Project for Nuclear Awareness
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