Washington D.C. - Council for a Livable World and the Center for Arms Control and Non Proliferation today called the Senate vote on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) “a remarkably bipartisan victory in an intensely hyper-partisan atmosphere.”

After nearly eight months of consideration, the Senate voted 71 – 26 to approve the treaty.

“We are pleased that a bipartisan supermajority in the Senate joined the U.S. military and the national security establishment in supporting a treaty that establishes a lower limit on the number of deployed nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles and ensures the return of U.S. inspectors to monitor and verify Russia’s still enormous nuclear arsenal,” said John Isaacs, Executive Director of Council for a Livable World. “In a political climate paralyzed by partisanship on other issues, this bipartisan vote of approval demonstrates that it’s possible for Senators to put aside political differences in the name of the national interest.”

Isaacs added: “By approving New START, the United States has sent a strong signal to the world that it can be counted on to be a reliable partner and leader in promoting nuclear stability. The treaty will also help buttress cooperative efforts with Russia and others to secure and safeguard nuclear material stockpiles and warheads and maintain and strengthen support for tougher measures against rogue states such as North Korea and Iran.”

New START was debated on the Senate floor for eight days and defeated numerous amendments largely offered by treaty opponents. The treaty requires modest reductions in the deployed strategic nuclear arsenals of the U.S. and Russia and restores an essential means of monitoring and verifying each side’s nuclear forces that has been absent since the START I treaty expired on December 5, 2009.

Kingston Reif, Director of Nuclear Non Proliferation at Council for a Livable World remarked: “Nuclear weapons may have protected us during the Cold War, but today we live in a different time and face new dangers. Massive nuclear arsenals are useless against contemporary threats such as terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons to rogue states such as Iran and North Korea. In the 21st century, mutual reductions in nuclear stockpiles, securing vulnerable nuclear materials, and banning nuclear testing will be the hallmarks of a more safe and secure world.”

Reif added: “New START is an important part of this effort. But it is only the beginning. The U.S. and Russia should take advantage of the momentum created by the approval of New START to pursue negotiations on reductions in all types of nuclear warheads, including non-deployed and non-strategic warheads, in a timely manner.”

Washington, D.C. – Former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger today endorsed ratification of the New Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty.

In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee along with former Secretary of Defense William Perry, Secretary Schlesinger said, “It is obligatory for the US to ratify this treaty," while acknowledging that this treaty and all treaties have shortcomings.

Schlesinger also agreed with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who identified that, “failure to ratify New START is detrimental to U.S. influence over other countries' non-proliferation policies.”

"The Secretary’s endorsement for New START is a major breakthrough for its prospects for Senate approval, since at least eight Republican votes will be needed for advice and consent to ratify the treaty,” said John Isaacs, executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “Schlesinger is extremely influential within the Republican Party for his extensive experience and forceful positions on nuclear issues.”

Dr. Schlesinger made several other statements that will help the treaty’s prospects for ratification. While he acknowledged that there is less verification in this treaty than in START I, which was signed in 1991, he argued that, “all in all, verification possibilities are still adequate.”

He identified that there though missile defense is mentioned in the treaty preamble and the treaty itself, “the treaty does not limit U.S. missile defense in a serious way.”

In response to a question from Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), both Schlesinger and Perry agreed that New START had to be ratified as a precursor for dealing with the issue of tactical nuclear weapons, where the Russians have a significant advantage.

Dr. Schlesinger even went so far as to soften some treaty criticism in his prepared statement, which stated: “As to the stated context of strategic nuclear weapons, the numbers specified are adequate,” and he then added, “at the reduced level,” a change from “though barely so” wording in his prepared text.

He endorsed the Obama administration’s new nuclear weapons budget for Fiscal Year 2011 when he said, "the add-on for next year looks to be significant."

Note: All Schlesinger quotes and statements are taken from John Isaacs’ notes, rather than from a transcript, and may not be exact.

Washington, D.C. – As the United States Senate ratification debate on the most significant nuclear reductions treaty in decades begins, nuclear arms experts Col. Richard Klass (USAF, ret.) and Dr. Robert Gould, MD will speak to audiences in Sioux City and Des Moines, Iowa about the risk of a nuclear weapons attack, current nuclear weapons policy debates and treaties, and the role Iowa Senators Grassley and Harkin will have in the implementation of a nuclear security agenda for the twenty-first century.

Both speakers are available for interview and comment in person and by phone May 3 in Sioux City and May 4 in Des Moines, where they will be meeting with students, community leaders, and members of local organizations from the Sioux City Noon Lions Club, Siouxland Peace Coalition, Des Moines University Student Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Des Moines Catholic Peace Ministry.

The following events are open to the public and press:

What: Discussion on Nuclear Weapons and National Security
When: Monday, May 3 2010, 12:30PM
Where: MidAmerican Community Room, Sioux City Noon Lions Club, 401 Douglas St, Sioux City
With: Col. Richard Klass (USAF, ret.) and Dr. Robert Gould, MD

What: Discussion on Nuclear Weapons and National Security
When: Monday, May 3 2010, 7:00PM
Where: Gleeson Room, Aalfs Public Library, 6th & Pierce St, Sioux City
With: Col. Richard Klass (USAF, ret.) and Dr. Robert Gould, MD

What: Discussion on “Moving to a World without Nuclear Weapons: Public Health and Policy”
When: Tuesday, May 4 2010, 12:00PM
Where: Ruza Lecture Hall, Des Moines University 3200 Grand Ave, Des Moines
With: Col. Richard Klass (USAF, ret.) and Dr. Robert Gould, MD

Colonel Richard Klass, (USAF, ret.), served as a White House Fellow in the Nixon Administration and in the Pentagon in the Carter Administration where he dealt with strategic arms control issues. He currently sits on the board of the Council for a Livable World, travels nationwide to discuss nuclear weapons policy with the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, and is president of the Veterans Alliance for Security and Democracy Political Action Committee. His decorations include the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, and Purple Heart. He is a graduate of the USAF Academy, Oxford University, and the National War College.

Dr. Robert Gould, M.D. is the current chair of the Peace Caucus of American Public Health Association (APHA), which organizes educational sessions covering range of war and peace and public health issues for APHA's annual meeting. He has authored or co-authored numerous resolutions passed by the Governing Council of the APHA against nuclear testing, an excessive military budget, the Strategic Defense Initiative, landmines, chemical weapons, and other topics. He has also published widely on these subjects. He currently works as an associate Pathologist (Board Certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology) at Kaiser Hospital in San Jose, CA.

To schedule an interview, please contact:
Mary Slosson, Herbert Scoville Peace Fellow, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation at 202.546.0795 ext. 2114, or mslosson@armscontrolcenter.org

This program is sponsored by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sioux City Noon Lions Club, Siouxland Peace Coalition, Des Moines University Student Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Des Moines Catholic Peace Ministry.

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Obama Administration convened 49 leaders from every region of the world in an effort to secure vulnerable fissile materials worldwide and address the threat of nuclear terrorism.

“Today’s summit offered an unprecedented opportunity to develop global solutions to counter the global threats of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism,” said the Center’s Executive Director John Isaacs. “The agreement on concrete steps to secure vulnerable nuclear materials, and the commitments by nations such as Ukraine, Chile, Mexico and Canada to abandon their highly-enriched uranium usable in nuclear weapons are huge steps forward.”

Coming out of today’s historic summit was a Communiqué and supporting Work Plan which establishes the political commitment made by the participating states to carry out the summit's goals. Additionally, numerous countries have made specific country commitments to secure or eliminate nuclear materials.

“While much progress has been made in securing vulnerable nuclear materials since the end of the Cold War, to date these efforts have not matched the urgency and immediacy of the threat. The important goals outlined at the summit will require concerted effort by many nations and sustained leadership from the United States,” added Kingston Reif, the Center’s deputy director for nuclear non-proliferation.

“Of course, what follows the summit will be at least as important as what has happened there today. The Communiqué and Work Plan produced today are only first steps, and it will be necessary to ensure that these commitments are acted upon in the months and years ahead,” said Reif.

A follow-on summit is planned to take place in the Republic of Korea in 2012.

Washington, D.C. – Early this morning, President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the most significant nuclear reductions treaty in decades between the United States and Russia.

The signing ceremony took place in Prague, Czech Republic, the location of President Obama’s April 2009 historic speech on nuclear weapons.

“The signing of this treaty is a huge step forward in advancing the bipartisan nuclear security agenda that the President outlined in Prague in April 2009 to reduce the dangers posed by nuclear weapons,” said the Center’s Executive Director John Isaacs. “We welcome the announcement of the completion of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to reduce the numbers of nuclear weapons in the United States and Russia.”

The “Prague Agenda” included three primary objectives: reduce and eventually eliminate the 23,000 nuclear weapons remaining in the world, prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons to new states, and secure nuclear weapons-usable materials to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorists. Nuclear reductions by the United States and Russia are they key to moving forward on the first goal.

"This agreement gets the United States back on track towards meaningful, legally-binding, verifiable nuclear arms control. It gets us back on track toward reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the two countries that currently possess more than 90% of those remaining in the world," added Leonor Tomero, the Center’s director of nuclear non-proliferation. "It is a key element of the President’s efforts to effectively address the most pressing security threat to the United States: the proliferation of nuclear weapons."

In addition to guiding the reduction of the United States’ and Russia’s deployed strategic nuclear weapons, New START provides the verification procedures necessary to ensure both nations comply.

"The sooner the treaty enters into force, the sooner important verification procedures can be up and running again. We look for a Senate vote on the treaty this year," added Isaacs.

One year ago in Prague, President Obama pledged that the Nuclear Posture Review “will put an end to Cold War thinking” and “reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy.”

The Review, which was released today after nearly a year of analysis, outlines many important and valuable steps that the U.S. will take toward that end. While the Review could have been bolder in some areas, it constructively reorients U.S. nuclear policy to reflect the fact that changing technologic, strategic, and geopolitical circumstances have made it possible and essential for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on nuclear weapons.

Overall, the Nuclear Posture Review is a significant improvement over the two previous Nuclear Posture Reviews conducted since the end of the Cold War. The encouraging steps outlined in the report should not be viewed as the end of the journey toward reducing the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, but they point us in the right direction.

On the positive side, the Nuclear Posture Review places preventing nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism atop the U.S. nuclear agenda. It also significantly reduces the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. national security by stating that the “fundamental” role of nuclear weapons is to deter nuclear attack on the U.S. and its allies and limiting the circumstances under which the U.S. would contemplate using nuclear weapons. Both of these measures will be helpful in strengthening the U.S. hand at the upcoming Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in May. Furthermore, the Review reaffirms that the U.S. will not conduct nuclear explosive tests and rejects the development of new nuclear weapons. The Review also supports further discussions with Moscow on even deeper bilateral reductions in U.S. and Russian arsenals – including non-deployed and non-strategic (i.e. tactical nuclear weapons) – beyond those called for in the New START agreement.

Though the positives significantly outweigh the negatives, the report stops short of saying that the “sole” purpose of nuclear weapons is to deter nuclear attack on the U.S. and its allies nor does it call for the U.S. to adopt a “no first use” policy. The U.S. does not need nuclear weapons for any other purpose but deterrence. A “sole purpose” and “no first use” declaration would have further strengthened the credibility of the U.S. conventional deterrent and reduced the incentives that other states might have to acquire nuclear weapons to protect themselves from a U.S. first strike.

The Review also does not recommend that the U.S. abandon its current launch on warning or launch under attack posture. Maintaining such a posture increases the chances of an accidental or unauthorized nuclear launch.

(Washington, D.C.): U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are planning to sign the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on April 8 in Prague. This new treaty would set lower bilateral limits on strategic nuclear forces, capping deployed warheads and bombs at 1,550 and deployed and non-deployed delivery systems at 800. The treaty would also establish a new verification system to directly count deployed warheads.

During the week of April 5 the Obama administration is also expected to release its top-to-bottom Nuclear Posture Review, which the President has said will reduce the roles and missions of U.S. nuclear weapons and set the future direction of U.S. nuclear policy.

On April 7, four leading U.S. experts on nuclear weapons policy, arms control, and Congress will review the details of New START, assess its importance to U.S. and global security, review the prospects for Senate ratification, and analyze the Nuclear Posture Review.

Amb. Linton Brooks served during the George W. Bush administration as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration and during the George H.W. Bush administration as Chief U.S. Negotiator for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Morton H. Halperin is senior advisor to the Open Society Institute and was a member of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, which released its report last May. He served in the Clinton, Nixon, and Johnson administrations working on nuclear policy and arms control and is the author of numerous books and articles on this subject.

John D. Isaacs is the Executive Director of the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation. He is a longtime leader of the nation's arms control community, an expert on nuclear policy and national politics, and has deep knowledge on the workings of Congress. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Arms Control Association.

Daryl G. Kimball, panel moderator, is Executive Director of the Arms Control Association and publisher of ACA's journal Arms Control Today. He has written on nuclear arms control and nonproliferation for twenty years and has led major public policy campaigns to reduce the threats posed by nuclear weapons.

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Obama Administration announced that negotiations for the text of the most significant nuclear reductions treaty between the United States and Russia in decades are complete. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will sign the agreement on April 8 in Prague, Czech Republic.

“We welcome the announcement of the completion of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to reduce the numbers of nuclear weapons in United States and Russia,” said the Center’s Executive Director John Isaacs. “This is a huge step forward in advancing the bipartisan nuclear security agenda that the President outlined in Prague in April 2009 to reduce the dangers posed by nuclear weapons.”

That agenda included three primary objectives: to reduce and eventually eliminate existing nuclear weapons stockpiles, prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons to new states, and prevent nuclear weapons-usable materials from falling into the hands of terrorists. Reductions in the United States and Russia are they key to moving forward on the first goal.

“This agreement demonstrates the Administration’s commitment to moving away from Cold War era stockpiles and reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the two countries that currently possess more than 95% of those remaining in the world,” added Leonor Tomero, the Center’s director of nuclear non-proliferation. “It is a key element of the President’s efforts to effectively address the most pressing threat to the United States: the danger that nuclear weapons might spread to other countries or to terrorists or that a nuclear weapon might be detonated by accident.”

This foreign policy victory builds on the domestic victory of the Administration this week on health care. “A stronger President on health care is a stronger President to move forward this nuclear security agenda,” Isaacs said. “We look for a Senate vote on the treaty this year. The sooner the treaty enters into force, the sooner important verification procedures can be up and running again.”

The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is one of the nation’s oldest and largest organizations dedicated to reducing and eventually eliminating nuclear weapons.

Washington, D.C. – Arms control experts at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation applauded recent news of a breakthrough in negotiations between the United States and Russia for a new nuclear arms reduction treaty to succeed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expired in December.

“We welcome news that the United States and Russia are set to conclude a new nuclear reductions treaty,” said the Center’s Executive Director John Isaacs. “This treaty is critical to American security interests by reducing excess nuclear weapons, ensuring verification of the two countries’ nuclear forces and resetting U.S.-Russian relations.”

Reports Wednesday afternoon indicated that a significant breakthrough in negotiations had been reached, and that a signing ceremony would soon follow.

Isaacs added, “We urge the United States Senate to give serious consideration to the treaty and to approve it promptly. The sooner the treaty enters into force, the sooner the verification procedures can be up and running again.”

The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is one of the nation’s oldest and largest organizations dedicated to reducing and eventually eliminating nuclear weapons.