President Obama, Why Won’t You Defend Us?
Mike Brownfield /
President Barack Obama today released five specific objectives regarding the United States’ future nuclear force, but the most important objective of all – defending the United States and its allies against strategic attack – was not among them. Now, it is up to Congress, the American people and America’s allies to ask the President a simple, pointed question: Why won’t you defend us?
The release of the President’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) raises significant questions about the soundness of the Obama administration’s nuclear strategy. First and foremost, the President’s priorities for his nuclear strategy are contradictory. By having a smaller, less reliable, less credible nuclear force, the President’s strategy will increase the incentive for nuclear proliferators to produce weapons, and other states’ reliance on nuclear weapons will only grow. In short, the world will become a more dangerous place to live.
Contrary to President Obama’s assertions, maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent and combating proliferation and nuclear terrorism are not incompatible goals. In fact, the previous administration made significant strides in countering proliferation, including establishing the Proliferation Security Initiative, which was designed to stop the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction.