Scowcroft On Nukes & No Nukes

Former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and the Council on Foreign Relation's Senior Fellow for Science and Technology Charles Ferguson held a media conference call on a forthcoming report on U.S. nuclear weapons policy.

The report does not weigh in on whether the U.S. can or should achieve President Obama's stated goal of global disarmament (there were a range of views on the subject), but does ask what interim steps would be needed to reach such a goal. "Reducing nuclear weapons is not just numbers," Scowcroft said, "but about how we make the nuclear arsenals that exist more stable, less conducive to escalation in a crisis."

To that end, Scowcroft and Ferguson made a few key points:

* The U.S. must reinforce the taboo around nuclear weapon use.

* America must commit itself to transparency with regards to our nuclear weapons policy and posture.

* The U.S. should push for a tri-lateral ban with China and Russia on anti-satellite weapons testing.

* The arms control process with Russia should be re-energized and centered on the creation of legal, binding commitments. The U.S. should also embark on a strategic defense dialogue with China, but not engage in high level arms control talks, in part because of the disparity of forces and because the relationship is not as mature as it is with the U.S. and Russia.

The most politically contentious point broached was the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) which failed to pass the Senate in 1999. President Obama has pledged to submit it to the Senate for ratification. Both Ferguson and Scowcroft urged its passage, while acknowledging that getting it past the Senate will be challenging. " I am cautiously optimistic that if the administration makes a good clear case for it, than it has a chance," Scowcroft said.

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