Obama Speech Sets New Course for US Nuclear Policy

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Statement by Kevin Knobloch of the Union of Concerned Scientists

April 7, 2009 -- The Union of Concerned Scientists applauds President Barack Obama's bold new approach to addressing the threat posed by nuclear weapons, as outlined in his groundbreaking speech on Sunday, April 5 in Prague. Although the cold war ended some 20 years ago, Obama is the first U.S. president to commit to making significant changes in U.S. nuclear weapons policy to reflect new global realities. His approach reflects an awareness that nuclear weapons have become a security liability rather than an asset, and that U.S. security requires a change in direction.

The President made clear that the United States will play a leadership role in reducing global nuclear weapons and laid out several concrete, pragmatic steps his administration will take.

These include reducing the role that nuclear weapons have in overall U.S. security policy; negotiating a new U.S.-Russian treaty to reduce nuclear arsenals, now on a fast-track to completion by the end of the year; pursuing Senate ratification of the international treaty banning the explosive testing of nuclear weapons; and initiating a new program to secure all nuclear weapons material around the world within four years. UCS strongly supports all these steps, which will reduce the risk of an accidental Russian nuclear launch, and the likelihood that more nations and terrorists will acquire nuclear weapons. These steps will make the U.S. public, and the world, far safer.

President Obama also stated that the United States was committed to the visionary goal of “the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons”—a goal UCS shares. While he noted that this goal may not be reached in his lifetime, he ended by affirming his belief that by working together, nations can fundamentally change the world. As he said, “Human destiny will be what we make of it.”

Source: The Union of Concerned Scientists