Defense

The Obama Administration is reportedly studying further, drastic reductions in U.S. nuclear forces — unilaterally or negotiated with Russia – later this year, possibly down to a few hundred operationally deployed nuclear weapons.  Would the U.S. remain a super-power, defending and deterring attacks on our allies worldwide, with a nuclear arsenal the size of Pakistan’s?  Wouldn’t it be ironic — not to mention dangerous — if U.S. reductions intended to point the way to Obama’s goal of a nuclear-free world ended up encouraging wider nuclear proliferation, a build-up of rogue nation nuclear capabilities, and a heightened risk of nuclear conflict?

To read the rest of Mr. Hughes’s article, see his U.S.News.com post here.

Did you know that the United States is the only nuclear power in the world that lacks the ability to make new nuclear weapons?  This means that as the Obama Administration contemplates further deep—and unilateral reductions—in the US nuclear arsenal, we will have no ability to rebuild our forces if world conditions worsen.

In this piece, Mark Davis and Philip Hughes draw on their White House experience to suggest a “pause and plateau”–a pause in nuclear negotiations, and a plateau at current agreed-upon force levels for five years.

To read the full article in The Hill, please click here.