(C) Common Dreams
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Why It’s Safe to Scrap America’s ICBMs - The New York Times [1]
['William J. Perry']
Date: 2016-09-30
In recent years, Russia and the United States have started rebuilding their Cold War nuclear arsenals, putting the world on the threshold of a dangerous new arms race. But we don’t have to repeat the perilous drama of the 20th century. We can maintain our country’s strength and security and still do away with the worst of the Cold War weapons.
The American plan to rebuild and maintain our nuclear force is needlessly oversize and expensive, expected to cost about $1 trillion over the next three decades. This would crowd out the funding needed to sustain the competitive edge of our conventional forces and to build the capacities needed to deal with terrorism and cyberattacks.
The good news is that the United States can downsize its plans, save tens of billions of dollars, and still maintain a robust nuclear arsenal.
First and foremost, the United States can safely phase out its land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) force, a key facet of Cold War nuclear policy. Retiring the ICBMs would save considerable costs, but it isn’t only budgets that would benefit. These missiles are some of the most dangerous weapons in the world. They could even trigger an accidental nuclear war.
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[1] Url:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/30/opinion/why-its-safe-to-scrap-americas-icbms.html
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