[Peace-discuss] Bush and Kerry compared on nuclear weapons issues

[ppatton at uiuc.edu]

Who Will Make Us Safer from
the Biggest Threat Facing the US?
by Carah Ong, October 1, 2004

If you watched or heard about the first Presidential debate on
September 30th, then you probably already know that one thing
both presidential candidates agree upon is that nuclear
proliferation poses the biggest threat to the US. What you
might not know is which candidate will actually make Americans
far safer and more secure. Understanding how the presidential
candidates will deal with nuclear proliferation is essential
in allowing US citizens to make an informed decision on who is
best suited to lead this great country.

One thing President Bush failed to mention is that, despite
calls from past Presidents, nuclear weapons have assumed a far
more central role in US security policy. The new, more
“usable” role that the US government has assigned to nuclear
weapons and its doctrine of pre-emptive warfare can encourage
other nations to obtain nuclear weapons (and other weapons of
mass destruction) in pursuit of their own security needs.
These policies diminish US national security and attempts to
control the spread of weapons of mass destruction, increasing
the risk that other countries and terrorists will obtain and
use nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction
against the US.

So, let's take a moment to examine exactly where President
Bush and Senator Kerry stand on just four key policies that
would protect Americans and their families.

Oppose creating dangerous new nuclear weapons that will lead
others to follow our example.

President George W. Bush requested some $36.6 million in the
2005 Budget for research on dangerous new nuclear weapons,
including the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator or
“bunker-buster” and “mini-nukes.”

John Kerry has stated, “As president, I will stop this
administration's program to develop a whole new generation of
bunker-busting nuclear bombs. This is a weapon we don't need.
And it undermines our credibility in persuading other nations.
What kind of message does it send when we're asking other
countries not to develop nuclear weapons but developing new
ones ourselves?”

Ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and continue the
current moratorium on nuclear testing, which are essential
elements to promoting the international non-proliferation
regime and protecting American security.

President Bush opposes ratification of the Comprehensive Test
Ban Treaty, already ratified by 115 countries, and has
proposed $30 million in the 2005 Budget for reducing the time
to resume nuclear testing from 24 months to 18 months.

Senator Kerry supports ratification of the Comprehensive Test
Ban Treaty, and has emphasized its importance in promoting the
international non-proliferation regime.

Cancel funding for and plans to deploy offensive missile
“defense” systems that could ignite a dangerous nuclear arms
race and offer no security against terrorist weapons of mass
destruction.

In 2001, President Bush unilaterally withdrew the US from the
1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the former Soviet
Union in order to deploy a missile “defenses.” He is seeking
to deploy an inadequately tested missile defense system this
year, and has requested a budget of more than $10 billion for
this unproven system in 2005.

Senator Kerry has stated that he believes in further missile
defense research, but he does “not believe in rapid deployment
of a system that hasn't been adequately tested.” He has stated
that “to abandon [the ABM Treaty] altogether is to welcome an
arms race that will make us more vulnerable, not less.”

Work with Russia to reduce the nuclear arsenals of both
countries and ensure that nuclear weapons and materials stay
out of the hands of terrorists or countries seeking to acquire
nuclear capabilities.

President Bush signed a treaty with the Russians that calls
for bringing down the number of deployed strategic weapons to
between 2,200 and 1,700 by the year 2012. The treaty, however,
does not provide for verification and does not make the
reductions irreversible. The treaty also terminates in the
year 2012. Since weapons taken off active deployment will be
kept on the shelf in reserve, they will be a tempting target
for terrorists. President Bush has also called for reductions
of more than nine percent in the funding for the Nunn-Lugar
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program to secure nuclear weapons
and materials in the former Soviet Union.

Senator Kerry has stated that the treaty that President Bush
entered into “runs the risk of increasing nuclear theft by
stockpiling thousands of warheads.” He further stated that “if
we are to make America safer, and we must, it will take more
than cosmetic treaties that leave Russia's nuclear arsenal in
place.” Kerry has called for increased joint efforts with the
Russians to dispose of stocks of existing nuclear materials.
He has stated that he will make securing nuclear weapons and
materials in the former Soviet Union a priority in relations
between the US and Russia and work with our allies to
establish global standards for the safekeeping of nuclear
materials.

It is up to us voters to elect a President who will make us
safer from the biggest threat facing the US. If you want to
see the US implement more responsible nuclear policies, then
visit www.chartinganewcourse.org to learn more and take action
today.

Carah Ong is the Development and Communications Director of
the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
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__________________________________________________________________
Dr. Paul Patton
Research Scientist
Beckman Institute  Rm 3027  405 N. Mathews St.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  Urbana, Illinois 61801
work phone: (217)-265-0795   fax: (217)-244-5180
home phone: (217)-344-5812
homepage: http://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ppatton/www/index.html

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.  It is the
source of all true art and science."
-Albert Einstein
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