Peace through Strength

By U.S. Senator Jon Kyl President Reagan had it right when he talked about peace through strength. We need to keep that concept in mind today, particularly as we engage in important debates about the role of nuclear weapons in our nations defenses. Some say the world would be more peaceful if we eliminated nuclear weapons. Is that right? Actually, no. While there have been many wars since 1945 (when the first atomic bomb was used), none has come close to the carnage that occurred regularly before the development of nuclear weapons; and none has pitted nuclear powers against each other. So, the reality is that, at least for the major powers, nuclear weapons can help deter war. Today, as we face a number of threats around the world, the United States needs a nuclear deterrent for its own and its allies protection. The United States stockpile of nuclear weapons means our allies do not need to develop such weapons. If the U.S. began to significantly reduce the number of weapons it possessed, these 31 countries relying on our nuclear umbrella might begin to doubt the U.S.s strength and, therefore, build weapons of their own. Yet, some policymakers, seeking to attain a world without nuclear weapons, have refused to allow funding to maintain them, hoping by sheer neglect and attrition, to prevent maintenance of an effective nuclear deterrent. These are the most sophisticated weapons ever devised by man, and, unless properly maintained, could become unsafe or fail to function. A bipartisan commission has just released a report that sounds an alarm about our aging nuclear deterrent and urges action to keep that deterrent credible and reliable. The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States was composed of six Democrats and six Republicans, co-chaired by William Perry (Secretary of Defense under President Clinton) and James Schlesinger (Secretary of Defense for Presidents Nixon and Ford and Secretary of Energy under President Carter). Its report makes clear that modernization of our nuclear weapons stockpile and the infrastructure to maintain those weapons is long overdue. Due to years of neglect, much of the infrastructure that maintains our deterrent is as old as the Manhattan Project of the 1940s. The commission assessed the nuclear weapons infrastructure and declared it in serious need of transformation. It also looked at the intellectual infrastructure, the laboratory-based scientific and technical expertise to ensure the safety, security and effectiveness of our nuclear arsenal and concluded, The intellectual infrastructure is also in serious trouble. A major cause is the recent (and projected) decline in resources. To address these problems, the commission made several consensus recommendations to increase the funding for, and improve the effectiveness of, the deteriorating nuclear weapons laboratory complex that one expert has called the soft underbelly of our deterrent force. Another focus of the commission was the danger of proliferation of countries like Iran and North Korea. Congress and the Obama Administration must address these threats in a meaningful way, not through treaties that assume that if we reduce our strength, other nations would respond in kind. This approach hasnt worked in the past, and it wont work with the Iranians and North Koreans. The commission reached a remarkable consensus on the need for the United States to sustain a nuclear deterrent and the steps necessary to achieve it. Its too bad that the very day the commission issued its report, President Obamas budget recommended huge cuts in the program sustaining our nuclear deterrent. While the President is appealing to his leftist political base, our national security is jeopardized. Peace through strength is more than a slogan. Its critical to our survival as a nation. U.S. Senator Jon Kyl is the Assistant Republican Leader and serves on the Senate Finance and Judiciary committees. Visit his website at www.kyl.senate.gov.