Senators to Obama: Take Bold Action on Nuclear Weapons

Senators call for nuclear policy reform - “We write to encourage you to take bold action in your final months in office to restrain U.S. nuclear weapons spending and reduce the risk of nuclear war. Among the steps we urge you to consider are scaling back excessive nuclear modernization plans, adopting a policy of no-first use of nuclear weapons, and canceling launch on warning plans,” write Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and eight other Senators in a letter to President Obama.

--“First and foremost, we urge you to scale back plans to construct unneeded new nuclear weapons and delivery systems. Independent estimates suggest that nuclear weapons sustainment and modernization plans could cost nearly one trillion dollars over the next 30 years, putting enormous pressure on our defense budget at a time when non-nuclear systems will also require major expenditures.” Read the full letter here. http://bit.ly/2a15xTO

Nonproliferation report card - “ Overall, states made significant progress on strengthening nonproliferation and nuclear security norms over the past three years. The positive trends in these areas, however, are not matched by action on the disarmament front. Progress on reducing nuclear arsenals has slowed, several states are taking troubling steps to expand their arsenals and develop new delivery systems, and no progress has been made on the negotiation of a treaty to end fissile material production for weapons,” write Elizabeth Philipp and Kelsey Davenport in a report for the Arms Control Association.

--“The recognized nuclear-weapons states have made very little progress on reducing the size of their nuclear arsenals. The United Kingdom and the United States took steps to slightly reduce the size of their deployed nuclear arsenals in number, whereas France announced no new reductions in the time covered by this report. China and Russia, however, both increased the number of deployed warheads since 2013.” Find the full report here. http://bit.ly/2abowdm

Nukes in Turkey are Cold War relics - “Should the United States remove the nuclear bombs stored at Incirlik air base in Turkey?... These weapons serve no purpose. Neither Turkish aircraft nor U.S. aircraft in Turkey can deliver the bombs. The United States Air Force regards them as an expensive distraction from the mission of countering the Islamic State. The Turkish government regards them as a political liability that shouldn’t be mentioned,” writes Jeffrey Lewis for The New York Times.

--“Why do they stay? We are told the weapons are an important symbol of our commitment to NATO. What the bombs at Incirlik really symbolize, however, is our inability to relinquish our nuclear stockpiles, even once they have no purpose and are an evident security threat.” Full piece here. http://nyti.ms/29UZfSQ

The U.K.’s uncertain arsenal -“The British government voted Monday to renew its nuclear deterrent, replacing its aging fleet of nuclear-armed Vanguard submarines with four new ones, to be named Successor. But the vote was by no means unanimous, with 117 members of Parliament voting against renewal, compared with 472 who voted in favor,” writes Jason Thomson for The Christian Science Monitor.

--“Digging into the detail of those numbers, however, reveals even more – about the difference in opinion between Scotland and the rest of Britain, as well as the divisions within political parties and the political considerations tied to this vote… If Scotland votes for independence, and the nuclear submarines are still stationed north of the border, what then? Would the newly independent government evict the fleet? Would they charge exorbitant rent?” Full piece here. http://bit.ly/29OiSzP

Tweet - @DarylGKimball: "The Dangers of Using Cyberattacks to Counter Nuclear Threats" by @AndrewFutter in #ArmsControlToday http://bit.ly/29OmVMA

Nuclear whistleblowers silenced - “At laboratories and factories where American nuclear weapons are designed and built, and at the sites still being cleansed of the toxic wastes created by such work, contractor employees outnumber federal workers six to one. That makes them key sentinels when something goes awry, a circumstance that officials say explains why they get legal protections when whistleblowing,” write Patrick Malone and Jeffrey Smith for the Center for Public Integrity.

--“It turns out that the Energy Department has actually handed most of the oversight over these protections to the contractors themselves, robbing workers at key nuclear weapons sites of confidence that pointing out security and safety dangers or other mistakes won’t bring retaliation, according to an audit released by the Government Accountability Office on July 14.” Full piece here. http://bit.ly/29PxA5E

Tweet - @Cirincione: How much does the Pentagon’s secretive bomber really cost? (And should you be allowed to know?) http://bit.ly/29WbHmo

Challenging the nuclear orthodoxy - “The ideas we use to guide us in thinking about nuclear weapons are actually wrong. The assumptions shared by most members of the nuclear community and that they have assiduously taught the rest of us for 70 years are muddled and mistaken. The reasoning behind our nuclear policy, and the nuclear mindset that generated that reasoning, was developed during a time of intense fear and — like most thinking done when you're terrified — isn't very sound,” writes Ward Wilson for United Press International.

--“Take the oft-repeated notion that ‘you can't disinvent nuclear weapons.’ This is an argument that is rarely questioned and is a key element in the argument that disarmament is impossible… No technology goes away by disinvention. It's an imaginary process. How is it supposed to work? Does a guy in a white coat sit down at a bench and ‘disinvent’ ancient IBM PCs? Technology goes away because people abandon it. It's not about technology, it's about social preference.” Full piece here. http://bit.ly/29Rd4Bg

Russia’s secret nuclear city -“Codenamed City 40, Ozersk was the birthplace of the Soviet nuclear weapons programme after the second world war. For decades, this city of 100,000 people did not appear on any maps, and its inhabitants’ identities were erased from the Soviet census. Today, with its beautiful lakes, perfumed flowers and picturesque tree-lined streets, Ozersk resembles a suburban 1950s American town – like one of those too-perfect places depicted in The Twilight Zone,” writes Samira Goetschel for The Guardian.

--“City 40’s inhabitants were told they were ‘the nuclear shield and saviours of the world’, and that everyone on the outside was an enemy. While the majority of the Soviet population were suffering from famine and living in abject poverty, the authorities created a paradise for these residents, providing them with lives of privilege and some luxury… In exchange, the residents were ordered to maintain secrets about their lives and work. It is a deal they still adhere to today...” Full piece here. http://bit.ly/29UqUTP

Quick Hits:

--“New Zealand invite to US Navy marks end to nuclear stalemate,” from the AP. http://wapo.st/29QYQQQ

--“The Day Five Men Willingly Stood Under a Nuclear Explosion, by Kyle Mizokami for Popular Mechanics. http://bit.ly/29Y8bcj

--“No, Russia Probably Won’t Build a Nuclear Space Bomber,” by Joseph Trevithick for War is Boring. http://bit.ly/29W1AOi

-- “Learning About the Bomb is the Best Way to Reduce Nuclear Dangers,” by Sameer Lalwani and Michael Krepon for The Wire. http://bit.ly/2aeZQ3q

--“Air Force outlines plans for a more senior nuke force,” by Stephen Losey for the Air Force Times.http://bit.ly/2abp0Ab

Events:

"Bike Around the Bomb," by Global Zero. August 6 at 10:00 a.m. at Lafayette Square, Washington. http://bit.ly/29nDRaF

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