Stopping a Nuclear Nightmare

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “Obama to Limit Scenarios to Use Nuclear Weapon,” describes the release of a new defense strategy limiting the cases when the United States would execute a nuclear first strike or a nuclear strike in reaction to non-nuclear provocation.

Predictably, the strategy is drawing criticism from the right, but, in my opinion, this strategy represents a balanced and nuanced approach similar to President Obama’s efforts in other policy areas. The strategy denounces the creation of any new nuclear weapons and limits the use of these weapons against any non-nuclear nation. Exceptions are made for Iran and North Korea due to their rogue status.

President Obama will be promoting this strategy at a series of upcoming events including the signing of the recent arms agreement with Russia in Prague on Thursday and a summit meeting on nuclear security with 47 nations next week.

The deliberations behind the new strategy were exhaustive, similar to the debate that occurred regarding our Afghanistan strategy, and even more so. Apparently, there were approximately 150 meetings among various players, with President Obama stepping in to resolve disputes on several occasions. The strategy is being announced months behind schedule.

While I’m not privy to classified information regarding nuclear weapons, our new strategy has a good feel to it, like we’re moving forward instead of remaining mired in past Cold War conflicts. Hopefully, it will be followed by even stricter agreements moving towards President Obama’s ultimate goal, a world without the possibility of nuclear holocaust.