A Smart Approach to National Security

“As our two countries possess the overwhelming majority of the world’s nuclear weapons, we have special responsibility to reduce their number. I believe we should be prepared to enter into a new arms control agreement with Russia.” John McCain, University of Denver 5/28/08.

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the U.S. and Russia is a critical piece in reducing nuclear weapons that can target the U.S. and allows us to verify that Russia is responsibly cutting its nuclear arsenal. Although it officially expired on December 5th, both sides anticipated that a new treaty would not be in place when the old one ended. President Obama and President Medvedev have each committed to continue to abide by the agreement while the details of a new treaty, that addresses nuclear security today, are finalized.

A growing bipartisan consensus of military and national security officials agree that a START follow-on treaty that further cuts nuclear weapons and maintains a verification/transparency regime is an essential element of a smart national security strategy to keep our military strong and our nation safe. The Mainstream Media Project offers knowledgeable former military and other expert spokespeople who can speak to the need to SECURE the world’s current nuclear weapons, PREVENT their use by terrorists and hostile nations and REDUCE the numbers of nuclear bombs worldwide.

What is the impact of the expiration of the START agreement? How important is a START follow-on agreement to our safety and security and reducing the threat of nuclear attack? What are the next steps of a comprehensive nuclear security agenda?