National Security Strategy Reinforces Obama’s Nuclear Approach

The Administration released its National Security Strategy Friday, reaffirming President Obama’s long-held dual approach to seeking a world without nuclear weapons while ensuring the nation’s nuclear arsenal is sound until that day comes. “No threat poses as grave a danger to our security and well-being as the potential use of nuclear weapons and materials by irresponsible states or terrorists,” the Administration said in the 29-page strategy. “We therefore seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. As long as nuclear weapons exist, the United States must invest the resources necessary to maintain—without testing—a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent that preserves strategic stability.”

 

The Administration said it will “constantly reinforce the basic bargain” of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty committing countries with nuclear weapons to reduce their stockpiles. Beyond the New START Treaty, which turned 4 years old last week, the Administration has said it wants to reduce the size of the nation’s active stockpile by about one-third below New START’s 1,550-warhead ceiling, to about 1,000. “For our part, we are reducing the role and number of nuclear weapons through New START and our own strategy,” The Administration said. “We will continue to push for the entry into force of important multilateral agreements like the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the various regional nuclear weapons-free zone protocols, as well as the creation of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.”