Is it true the the US was going to help Russia dismantle its nukes but...

[Deja Q]

opted out because it was too expensive? (this was purportedly going to happen during the 1990s)

I heard this the other day but can't find much of anything on the net, thanks to current news developments taking the spotlight.

Do you know of any links I could read up on?

Thanks!

[madrchsod]

1. yes too expensive

but the biggest problem was no one knew where the money was going and to whom. alot of mistrust on each side,us not being able to monitor,and other operational problems pretty much killed the whole idea...

[bif]

2. Started under George the first

Continued under Clinton. We actually were buing the uranium and plutonium and destroying it. It was one of the first programs Geeorge the Second cut. Yeah, we're a lot safer now than we were before. This administration just doesn't think about the future.

[damnraddem]

5. Yeah, too expensive.

Much cheaper to let Al Qaida buy them. Well, at least until they use them.

Good goin', Dubya!

[bif]

3. Some info here

http://www.ceip.org/files/projects/npp/resources/gao.htm

http://npc.sarov.ru/english/digest/12001/appendix6.html

I did a search by typing in the words: Russian plutonium reduction program

[papau]

4. 8.4% reduction for FY2002 over FY 2001 - But Bush makes us "safer"

ANNEX 6. PROPOSED FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS FOR NUCLEAR SECURITY EFFORTS IN RUSSIA
Based on authoritative budget documents, it is clear that the Department of Energy (DOE) programs are scheduled to be cut back significantly in key areas. Overall, the top-line budget request for DOE nuclear nonproliferation programs in FY2002 will be $801 million, or about $73 million below the FY2001 (current year) appropriated level of $874. This is an overall 8.4% reduction. When compared to the request from DOE to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the last months of the Clinton administration, the cut is even more significant. The Clinton era OMB request for FY 2002 was rumored to be approximately $1.2 billion. If this information is accurate, then the cut from the projected Clinton budget is closer to 33%.

Authoritative information on the budget requests for the State Department is not available, though Colin Powell did testify that the nonproliferation programs in the State Department would be receiving an increase in the upcoming budget year. Information on the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction program budget requests is also unavailable at this time, though there have been rumors of reductions.

Attached to this overview is a chart of the major FY 2002 DOE nuclear nonproliferation budget requests, which have not yet been released by the Bush administration.

Several programs that have been targeted for elimination or significant cuts include:



Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI). This is the only U.S. government program specifically focused on decreasing Russian nuclear weapon production capability and creating alternative employment opportunities in Minatom's closed nuclear weapons cities. In FY 2001, $26.6 million is appropriated for the program. For FY2002, DOE had sought a request of $30 million. The new Bush budget requests only $6.6 million, a 75% reduction from the current year. This is the lowest level of funding ever proposed for this program and it will be extremely difficult to sustain this program at $6.6 million. Prior to this year, the program's lowest appropriation was $7.5 million in FY 2000. In particular, the budget eliminates a $10 million line item to facilitate closure of warhead production plants.
<snip>

(http://www.ransac.org/) The Russian American Nuclear Security Advisory Council (RANSAC) is an independent, non-governmental research organization dedicated to increasing the security of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and reducing proliferation risks. RANSAC’s priority is supporting the cooperative threat reduction agenda between the U.S., Russia, and the other former Soviet states and promoting its expansion to address global proliferation dangers.