Promote Arms Control and Disarmament Initiatives...

Few issues today are more urgent than reducing the danger of nuclear weapons. Roughly 2,500 of the 7,000 nuclear warheads in the U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal remain on a high state of alert. A parallel situation exists in the Russian nuclear arsenal. However, with a crumbling Russian military infrastructure, the risk to the U.S. is much greater. The fact that there are so many nuclear weapons on high alert poses a grave and needless risk to the survival of humanity.

The current U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal was designed during the Reagan administration to deter the combined forces of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. Ratification of START II, which would cut the arsenal in half, became entangled in disagreements between the Clinton administration and the Republican Senate leadership. Reductions outside the START process were barred by Congress in 1999.

The threat of a new nuclear arms race

The Senate’s failure to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) gave a green light for new nuclear weapons development. This new push for nuclear weapons was reflected this summer when the Senate adopted two bills that would authorize and fund a preliminary study to examine the feasibility of developing a small, burrowing nuclear weapon, or “mini-nuke.” Deployment of such a warhead would require resumption of U.S. nuclear testing. This would likely be followed by Russian, then Chinese, then Indian and Pakistani nuclear testing, destroying chances for the CTBT. (Although in conference committees the authorization was limited and funding deleted, supporters of a mini-nuke warhead are expected to press this issue again in the 107th.)

In addition to a mini-nuke warhead, proponents of National Missile Defense (NMD) would have the U.S. deploy a system that will squander billions of dollars and put the world in jeopardy of a new and more chaotic nuclear arms race. Fortunately, President Clinton, citing technical difficulties and opposition from U.S. allies, decided not to deploy it at this time. Yet the NMD issue will not go away soon. Research and development funding is in place, and Republicans in the House and Senate have expressed their intentions to pursue deployment.

FCNL’s response to the threats posed by nuclear and conventional weapons

In response to this threat of a renewed nuclear arms race, FCNL will implement a nuclear disarmament project in 2001 focused on (1) nuclear de-alerting legislation, (2) nuclear reduction legislation, (3) opposition to nuclear weapons development, and (4) opposition to NMD deployment. This effort will include both lobbying on Capitol Hill and grassroots activities, and will be coordinated with other national arms control and disarmament organizations.

In the area of conventional weapons, FCNL will work in partnership with legislators and colleague organizations towards the following goals.

* Establish a U.S. and global moratorium on weapons transfers to conflict areas, especially in Africa.
* Reduce or eliminate subsidies to U.S. weapons exporters.
* Strengthen controls on commercial weapons sales.
* Have the U.S. sign and ratify the landmine ban treaty.
* Encourage U.S. leadership to strengthen the International Arms Sales Code of Conduct.

In parallel with this work, FCNL will focus on the impact of U.S. arms control, disarmament, foreign, and military policies on U.S.-China relations.