The Cold War Called...They Want Their Nukes Back.
Posted by Kelsey Hartigan
The security threats of the 21st century necessitate a revised national security strategy that is based on combating the ambiguous and ever-changing enemy we now face. In a post 9/11 world, we cannot continue to pour resources into Cold War systems that are too outdated to combat the security threats of our time. Recent reports present a sober reminder that al Qaeda is continuing its quest to obtain weapons of mass destruction and that the threat of nuclear terrorism is real. With over 20,000 nuclear weapons in existence, the possibility that a terrorist organization could buy or steal a nuclear bomb is far too great.
Elite military and foreign policy leaders from both sides of the aisle have voiced their concerns with the status quo and warned of the dangers of nuclear weapons. These experts represent a growing, bipartisan consensus that realizes we cannot counter today’s terrorist threat with Cold War weapons. The four horsemen of nuclear disarmament—former Secretary of State George Shultz, former Secretary of Defense William Perry, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and former Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sam Nunn have joined together to call for the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons. Former Secretary of State Collin Powell has also rejected the utility of nuclear weapons and advocated that they eventually be abolished:
The one thing that I convinced myself after all these years of exposure to the use of nuclear weapons is that they were useless. They could not be used. If you can have deterrence with an even lower number of weapons, well then why stop there, why not continue on, why not get rid of them altogether.
Eliminating nuclear weapons will be a long and difficult process that takes place over a number of years. The current nuclear security agenda focuses on several key areas, including securing all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years. As the President explained in his address last night, the U.S. will bring forty-four nations together in April to specifically address this issue. Such action represents a step in the right direction; however, further research and debate will be required to map out more concrete, long-term steps.
Aware of this strategic gap, Dr. Barry Blechman and his colleague, Alex Bollfrass of the Stimson Center, recently released a new publication, Elements of a Nuclear Disarmament Treaty. The book details the technical aspects of nuclear disarmament and lays out a step-by-step approach for mitigating, and eventually eliminating, the threat of nuclear weapons. Unmatched in its contributions to the debate on eradicating nuclear weapons, Stimson’s latest book maps out the specific verification, governance and enforcement mechanisms that would be required for governments to move forward and effectively reduce the risks of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. Former Secretaries of Defense, Frank Carlucci and William Perry lauded the book, saying:
Considerable research, analysis, and experimentation by government organizations would be required to convince national leaders that elimination could be accomplished safely and fairly, without posing a threat to any nation’s security. Elements of a Nuclear Disarmament Treaty offers an excellent starting point for those official discussions.
Carlucci and Perry continued…
As former secretaries of defense, we understand well how difficult the policy adjustments called for in this book would be. Nonetheless, we have reached the conclusion that we can no longer afford to approach the nuclear problem from a passive posture of crisis-management. Now is the time to seize the initiative.
And there you have it—the threat is real, but so are the opportunities to dismantle it. How many statements do we need to read, how many speeches do we have to hear before we’re convinced it’s time to take action? We’re not waiting on scientific breakthroughs or technological advances—only the political will. We can’t let our security fall prey to those who are stuck in the past. It’s time we meet the security needs of the 21st century with 21st century solutions.