The Pentagon-led Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), expected to be released in March, will establish policies for the U.S. nuclear deterrent over the next five to ten years. Arms Control Wonk [2] blogger and Ploughshares Fund grantee Jeffrey Lewis [3] describes the NPR debate over “declaratory” policy, or public statements about the role of U.S. nuclear weapons, as between those who want to declare that the “sole purpose” of U.S. nuclear weapons is to deter and, if necessary, respond to nuclear attacks, and those who want to limit the role to “existential” threats. Lewis, who writes he does not think it would ever be in the interest of the United States would initiate the use of nuclear weapons, says “the United States maintains nuclear weapons to deter and, if necessary, respond to nuclear attacks against ourselves, our forces, or our friends and allies.” Nevertheless, whatever the appeal in theory, in real life “calculated ambiguity” degenerates into the clumsy brandishing of nuclear weapons, writes Lewis.
Links
[1] https://www.ploughshares.org/file/1468
[2] http://www.armscontrolwonk.com
[3] http://www.ploughshares.org/expert/222
[4] http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100125_3469.php
[5] http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=2948&l=1
[6] http://www.ploughshares.org/expert/136
[7] http://www.fas.org
[8] http://www.ploughshares.org/expert/99
[9] http://www.ucsusa.org
[10] http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/2583/declaratory-policy