Democrats Bash Bush Nuclear Security Policy

By Seamus Kraft
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. Democratic lawmakers yesterday charged the Bush administration with moving at a “glacial pace” to secure nuclear material around the world.  Keeping such material out of terrorist hands should be a more important security goal than addressing Iran or North Korea, they told a nonproliferation conference (see GSN, June 18).

“Any two Cal-Tech students could design a bomb for you with published materials.  The only obstacle is access to radiological materials,” said Representative Adam Schiff (Calif.), speaking on a panel at the Carnegie International Nonproliferation Conference.

“There are too many sites with enriched material, we have been too slow to secure them, too slow on Nunn-Lugar, and it is too low a diplomatic priority,” he added, referring to Cooperative Threat Reduction programs to secure nuclear and other WMD materials in the former Soviet Union.

Representative John Spratt (S.C.) agreed.

“There is a vast supermarket of fissile material which, if tapped, could teach us a sobering lesson,” he said. 

The lawmakers agreed that the furor surrounding the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs is overblown (see related GSN stories, today).

“This administration has had a lack of imagination” on nuclear issues, Schiff said.  He said he worried that the suspected or known weapons programs of rogue states became diplomatic priorities only because they received “sexier” coverage.

Amy Woolf, of the Congressional Research Service challenged Congress to take on a more substantive debate of nuclear policy.

“Both parties are asking broad questions around the 2008 elections about why we have nuclear weapons, which is good,” she said.  “But there is a pingpong effect with partisan talking points on nuclear policy and nonproliferation.  Everyone is talking back and forth, past each other.”

The House’s two-year election cycle plays an important role in the lack of substance, Woolf said.  Most lawmakers are reluctant to cede valuable campaign time to master the arcane and detailed nuances of nuclear policy, she added.

Even so, Woolf predicted that the Democrat-controlled Congress might increasingly challenge the Bush administration on nuclear issues as the 2008 elections approach.  Both Democrats and Republicans might cast doubt on the wisdom of new nuclear technology, such as the Reliable Replacement Warhead, while Iran and North Korea loom large on the campaign trail, she added (see related GSN story, today).

“If we acquire new nukes, we appear to be uncommitted to our nonproliferation goals and we will lose allies in a fight,” she said.

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, while asking a question, offered a longer view of the issue. 

“Nuclear weapons are never in our interest, will never be in our interest.  All of you, get that into your heads,” he said to resounding applause.

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