FAS Secrecy News: Bush* Wants More Nukes- Congress Hides Report

[Patriot_Spear]

US URGES PURSUIT OF ADVANCED NUCLEAR WEAPONS



The Bush Administration has advocated, and Congress recently approved, the repeal of a 1994 ban on U.S.

research and development on new, low-yield nuclear weapons, setting the stage for pursuit of a new generation of such weapons.



"The Administration had sought to remove this restriction because of the chilling effect it has had on nuclear weapons research and development," wrote Linton F. Brooks, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration in a December 5 memo.



Now the Bush Administration is encouraging weapon designers at the national laboratories to "engage fully... to examine advanced concepts that could contribute to our nation's security."



"We must take advantage of this opportunity to ensure that we close any gaps that may have opened this past decade in our understanding of the possible military applications of atomic energy," Brooks wrote to lab directors.



"We are now free to explore a range of technical options that could strengthen our ability to deter, or respond to new or emerging threats without any concern that some ideas could inadvertently violate a vague and arbitrary limitation," he wrote.



A copy of the Brooks memo was obtained by the Los Alamos Study Group, and posted here:



http://www.lasg.org/LintonBrooksMemoDec5-2003_0001.pdf



It was first reported in "Bush Presses Lab Nuke Research"

by Ian Hoffman, Oakland Tribune, December 11:



http://tinyurl.com/zn69



A detailed Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on "Nuclear Weapon Initiatives: Low-Yield R&D, Advanced Concepts, Earth Penetrators, Test Readiness" was newly updated on December 11.



The U.S. Congress does not believe that the American public should have direct access to CRS reports like this one, and has taken steps to impede such access. A copy is nevertheless posted here:



http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/crs/RL32130.pdf

[izzie]

1. Who are we going to use them on? Any plans?

How much of this stuff does one country need?

[Patriot_Spear]

2. It's crazy.

Simply crazy.

[HFishbine]

3. Who Voted How?

I'd like to know how representatives and senators voted on this one -- especially those running for president. Anybody?

[Patriot_Spear]

4. I hadn't thought of that. n/t

[phaseolus]

5. Of course I'd prefer for there to be no nuke warheads, anywhere, but

...if this report leakage is simply saber-rattling it might not be such a bad thing if it makes semi-unfriendly nuclear (or wannabe nuclear) nation calm down a bit.

On the other hand -- if this goes forward & results in 1.) greater number of warheads in the stockpile, knowing what this administration thinks of treaties, or 2.) rampant crazy fuckheadism resulting in our actually USING the damned things... that would be a really bad thing.

[bluestateguy]

6. Oh brother

Call me a loony leftist, but I think we have plenty of well-functioning nuclear weapons to defend our nation against terrorists and rogue nations.

How can we demand that 3rd World nations not proliferate nuclear weapons when we are seen doing this?