Momentum builds to boost program for dismantling nuclear weapons

[struggle4progress]

By Ken Guggenheim
ASSOCIATED PRESS
11:02 p.m. January 26, 2005

WASHINGTON – Momentum is building in Congress to revamp and expand a program credited with destroying thousands of nuclear weapons from Soviet stockpiles and keeping them out of terrorists' hands. <snip>

Lugar's proposal would eliminate requirements that the president certify that Russia and other participants meet certain criteria, such as investing their own money in destroying weapons, allowing U.S. verification of weapons destruction, and meeting human rights standards. Presidents have often waived those requirements. <snip>

It also would lift the $50 million cap on funds that can be used on Nunn-Lugar projects outside the former Soviet Union. Last year, Nunn-Lugar money was used to destroy chemical weapons in Albania, the first time it was used outside the Soviet Union.

The Nunn-Lugar program is credited with deactivating or destroying 6,564 nuclear warheads, 568 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 761 nuclear air-to-surface missiles, 543 submarine-launched missiles, 28 nuclear submarines and other parts of the Soviet Union's nuclear program.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20050126-2302-us-stoppingnukes.html


... The new Nunn-Lugar scorecard is in, and that bi-partisan program de-activated another 312 Russian nuclear warheads in 2004 ... The potential prevention of a gigantic nuclear disaster has been an incredible achievement, even though the task is not over ... In 2004, for the first time Nunn-Lugar funds went outside the ex-Soviet Union as chemical weapons in Albania were destroyed ...
http://www.news-banner.com/index/news-app/story.530/menu./sec./home.

[RC]

1. So tell me when the

United States is going to start destroying their own arsenal of death?

[struggle4progress]

2. We had a tiny success at the end of 2004: as the last Congress ...

... ground to an end, it stopped funding W's research for a new generation of nukes. Course, the fresh new zombies in DC will probably refund it ...

[struggle4progress]

3. But, of course, ...

Bush promotes 'nuclear hawks'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1201338

Rumsfeld Seeks to Revive Burrowing Nuclear Bomb
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1201303