Former Secretary Of State Concerned By Key Element Of Obama’s Nuclear Policy

Former Secretary of State James Baker III expressed hesitancy Wednesday over the Obama administration’s pledge to not use nuclear force against countries that have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, even if they launch a biological or chemical attack against the U.S.

“I question the wisdom of that position,” Baker said during an appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Baker, who served under President George Bush Sr., said his opinion stemmed from an interaction with the Iraqi Foreign Minister on the eve of the Gulf War, wherein Baker cautioned that the U.S. could use nuclear arms if the Iraqis attacked American forces with biological or chemical weapons.

“It is entirely possible, and even likely in my opinion, that Iraq did not use its chemical weapons against our forces because of that warning,” Baker said. “Years later when Saddam Hussein was captured, debriefed and asked why he did not use his chemical weapons, he recalled the substance of my statement.”

The restraint on nuclear force was included in the administration’s Nuclear Posture Review unveiled in April. Iran and North Korea, who have not signed the nonproliferation treaty, are still considered legitimate targets for a nuclear attack.

The former Secretary also posed questions over a number of provisions in the New START Treaty, including whether the program in place to verify compliance was satisfactory and if the treaty will provide a large enough nuclear capacity to protect allies. Baker also argued that the treaty should just focus on the reduction of arms and not seek to limit missile defense.

These concerns aside, Baker characterized the new treaty to limit both countries to 1,500 warheads as “a modest, and appropriate” continuation of the original START treaty that expired last year.

Iranian President Looks To Attend Non-Proliferation Conference in New York

The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmajinejad appears to want to attend a conference of signatories of the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) at UN headquarters in New York. US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said this afternoon that Ahmadinejad had applied for a visa for the conference next week. Iran is a signatory to the treaty but its nuclear development program has earned it criticism and sanctions from the US and other countries.

Rice seemed hopeful that the ongoing debate surrounding Iran's nuclear program and sanctions would not complicate positive developments during the NPT conference. Although intense negotiations surrounding the drafting of a resolution on more sanctions against Iran have been going on for months now, Rice indicated that consultations within the security council would continue "at an appropriate time" and that she anticipated consensus on the security council's course of actions in "the coming weeks".

"Iran is obviously, in any case, in the backdrop when consideration of the non proliferation treaty is occuring because it remains in violation of its international obligations, but we think this is much bigger than any one country. Our aims are universal and we will approach it in that vein."

Rice emphasized the importance of making concrete progress during next week's conference and that, in the wake of the signing of the START treaty with Russia and the Washington DC nuclear summit earlier this month, President Obama and other UN member states had clearly shown their commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament.

"The NPT has been and remains a cornerstone of our national security and we think this conference is very important opportunity to strengthen all three pillars of the non proliferation treaty" said Rice, referring to treaty's focus on non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. "There are many other member states that understand the crucial importance of this conference yielding an outcome that serves to reinforce all three pillars and the risk to the viability of the non proliferation treaty regime if this conference does not make progress in that regard"

Experts Applaud New Direction In Nuclear Policy

By Justine Rellosa-Talk Radio News Service

A number of experts applauded the direction the Obama administration is taking in their nuclear policy during a conference call hosted by the Center for American Progress Tuesday.

“[The new guidelines] state that the U.S will not develop new nuclear warheads, and use only nuclear components based on previously tested designs,” said former British Defense Minister, Des Brown. “That’s extremely important for us here in the United Kingdom because we anticipate in the next parliament that we will have to make the decision about the future of our own nuclear warheads.”

The policies, contained in the administration's Congressionally mandated Nuclear Policy Review, outlines a significant change in the U.S government’s position on the use of nuclear weapons. The U.S. stance is now revised to emphasize the prevention of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. It also outlines the U.S agreement to withdraw from using weapons of mass destruction against any non-nuclear country that has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The release of the review comes just days before President Barack Obama is scheduled to sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Prague.

Associate Director of Russia and Eurasia at CAP, Samuel Charap, praised the move to stabilize relations with Russia.

“We’ve gone a long way in being able to discuss some issues that are crucial for the security of both the United States, Russia, and the rest of the world. They have sort of set the groundwork both for a broadening of the relationship between the U.S and Russia, and a deepening of the relationship on arms control and nuclear security issues,” said Charap.

In the political realm, START has bipartisan support from various former Repubican national security officials, according to Max Bergmann, a Policy Analyst of nuclear non-proliferation at CAP.

“[Former Secretaries of State] Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, George Schultz and Senator Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), have stated their support for the ratification," said Bergmann.

US and IAEA lagging on nuclear proliferators

The Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade Subcommittee held a hearing this afternoon on the future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and global nuclear energy as a whole. The treaty, which aims to eliminate the spread of nuclear weapons, has gained increasing attention in light of North Korea's test of a nuclear weapon and Iran's nuclear program.

Pierre Goldschmidt, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said that examples of non-compliance that have been identified by the Board of Governors within the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) need to be acknowledged immediately. In particular, Goldschmidt pointed to North Korea and Egypt as gross violators of the agency's regulations.

Professor Orde Kitrie of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State said that the US needs to enforce stricter sanctions against nations who violate international nuclear agreements. He also said that any nation found to be in violation of these rules should be cut off from US exports indefinitely.

Jack Spencer, Research Fellow in the Thomas Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation suggested that the US create an international fuel supply program to reduce international desire for a nuclear program to provide necessary power. He believes this program would reduce some of the workload for the IAEA, allowing the organization to focus on more dangerous proliferators.