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| | | published Wednesday, August 06, 2008 | 921 Views :: 0 Comments | |  |
Albuquerque Journal
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
By Frida Berrigan And Susan Gordon
Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World
Sixty-three years ago this week, the United States was the first (and last — so far) nation to use nuclear weapons in war, detonating two warheads in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Tens of thousands were killed instantly, and by the end of 1945 another 200,000 had died from radiation-related ailments.
This somber anniversary provides an opportunity to assess the range of nuclear threats bedeviling international relations and threatening the future, and a chance to recommit to the work of nuclear disarmament.
First, the good news. North Korea destroyed a cooling tower at their Yongbyon nuclear complex on June 28. There is still significant work ahead, but this symbolic gesture is a welcome first step toward disarmament.
Closer to home, Congress refused to fund the Bush administration's demand for a new nuclear weapon system, the Reliable Replacement Warhead, which would have replaced most U.S. warheads.
Now, the bad news. Stalled disarmament, irresponsible engagement with new and nascent nuclear powers, dangers of nuclear terrorism and the tens of billions the United States is still pumping into a vast nuclear weapons complex.
In 2002, President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to sharp reductions in nuclear stockpiles by 2012. More than half the allotted time has passed, and yet this key post-Cold War priority has faltered.
While not living up its promises, the United States is being irresponsibly inconsistent with other countries. Washington's stance toward India and Iran exemplify the two sides of this set of provocative policy choices.
The 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty established the framework under which nuclear weapons states committed to disarm. Non-nuclear signers of the treaty pledged not to develop nuclear weapons capability in exchange for assistance in acquiring peaceful nuclear capabilities. The NPT's delicate balance has now been overturned — as Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and India have all built nuclear weapons stockpiles outside the treaty, while Iran is suspected of pursuing that technology.
Now, the Bush administration has further undermined this critical pillar of disarmament by giving India a special path to nuclear legitimacy despite its development of these weapons outside of international law. New Delhi is close to accepting a deal giving it access to nuclear power plant fuel and technology. In exchange, it will open its nuclear weapons program to inspections.
While supporting India's nuclear program, the United States threatens Iran with attack for thinking nuclear thoughts. According to the National Intelligence Estimate, Tehran ceased pursuit of nuclear weapons in 2003, while continuing to attempt mastery over uranium enrichment. Tehran maintains its current nuclear program is lawful and for peaceful energy uses.
Meanwhile, despite disarmament calls from a cadre of converted Cold Warriors, the Bush administration continues to push for new nuclear weapons.
The Department of Energy plans to build new or upgraded facilities at all of the nuclear weapons-related sites. This proposal builds on the Bush administration's quiet surge in nuclear weapons spending. Adjusting for inflation, U.S. spending on nuclear weapons has increased by more than 13 percent since 2001 and is now one-third more than the Cold War average. Most of this funding is going to extend the life of the existing stockpile through upgrades and enhancements.
Of course, the Los Alamos National Laboratory is champing at the bit to expand plutonium pit manufacturing to support Complex Transformation despite a series of reports debunking the theory that the new pits — or cores for nuclear warheads — are needed. If DOE gets the green light to proceed, there will be a continuous design and deployment cycle that could heighten internal pressure to test them before the military accepts them.
The Los Alamos Lab could lead the world in developing mechanisms for securing fissile materials, stopping the proliferation of nuclear technology, and cleaning up the environmental legacy from nuclear weapons production.
Both presidential candidates have stated their support for a nuclear-weapons-free world. It is time to reduce the nuclear threat by preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, ending the pursuit of new warheads, halting continued weapons production and calling for engagement with other nations to ensure that all existing stockpiles are verifiably dismantled.
The United States must commit to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. As we recall the terrible mushroom clouds incinerating Japanese cities 63 years ago this week, that work is the only fitting memorial.
Frida Berrigan is a senior program associate at the New America Foundation. Susan Gordon is director of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Both groups are members of the Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons Free World, www.nuclearweaponsfree.org.
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