national security that has been promoted by Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now said Obama. my administration,” Joseph Cirincione, a nuclear weapons policy expert and the president of the Ploughshares Fund said many people were surprised when Republicans, such as Senator Jon Kyle, reversed their position on ratifying the treaty swiftly. Kyle was previously in favor of ratifying the agreement, on conditions that Congress would fund the modernization if the remaining US nuclear arsenal. Now, he wants to put off the ratification until at least next year. seems to have alienated not just the administration, not just the members of “He [Kyle] the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military in the United States really want this treaty, but members of his own said Cirincione. party,” Senior US Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, blasted Kyle. He said change in stance is a Kyle’s mistake, calling treaty and positive US-Russian relations vital to US national security. looks like the administration wants this treaty ratified by the end of the year and “It willing to fight for said Cirincione. there’re it,” This is evidenced by high level talks between the Obama administration and Republican leadership. The treaty is necessary to secure US national security, argued Cirincione. The entity of the US national security establishment is solidly in favor of the agreement. have the military backing this; you have almost every senior former Secretary of “You Defense and Secretary of State and national security advisor backing he added. it,” However, there are those on the right who continue to oppose the treaty. have a minority within the Republican Party that are trying to score political points. “You They think that they can show that Obama is weak or humiliate him in some way by using this treaty as part of their explained. think that this is partisan battle,” Cirincione “I going to back fire a bit time on them.” There are still thousands of nuclear weapons in existence, yet much of the public has forgotten or is unaware of the magnitude. But when informed, the America public favors a reduction in nuclear arms, according to recent polls. Cirincione said there is unease in the US about nuclear weapons and with incidents of mistakes being made; the answer is to reduce the number weapons to their lowest possible levels and many in America support this goal.
national security that has been promoted by Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now my administration,” said Obama. Joseph Cirincione, a nuclear weapons policy expert and the president of the Ploughshares Fund said many people were surprised when Republicans, such as Senator Jon Kyle, reversed their position on ratifying the treaty swiftly. Kyle was previously in favor of ratifying the agreement, on conditions that Congress would fund the modernization if the remaining US nuclear arsenal. Now, he wants to put off the ratification until at least next year. “He [Kyle] seems to have alienated not just the administration, not just the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military in the United States really want this treaty, but members of his own party,” said Cirincione. Senior US Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, blasted Kyle. He said Kyle’s change in stance is a mistake, calling treaty and positive US-Russian relations vital to US national security. “It looks like the administration wants this treaty ratified by the end of the year and there’re willing to fight for it,” said Cirincione. This is evidenced by high level talks between the Obama administration and Republican leadership. The treaty is necessary to secure US national security, argued Cirincione. The entity of the US national security establishment is solidly in favor of the agreement. “You have the military backing this; you have almost every senior former Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State and national security advisor backing it,” he added. However, there are those on the right who continue to oppose the treaty. “You have a minority within the Republican Party that are trying to score political points. They think that they can show that Obama is weak or humiliate him in some way by using this treaty as part of their partisan battle,” Cirincione explained. “I think that this is going to back fire a bit time on them.” There are still thousands of nuclear weapons in existence, yet much of the public has forgotten or is unaware of the magnitude. But when informed, the America public favors a reduction in nuclear arms, according to recent polls. Cirincione said there is unease in the US about nuclear weapons and with incidents of mistakes being made; the answer is to reduce the number weapons to their lowest possible levels and many in America support this goal.
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