Washington Risks Ending Taboo On Nukes With Support For Bunker-Busters

NUKEWARS

Washington May Need To Test Nuke Bunker-Busters

File photo of the crater left from an underground nuclear test.

UN watchdog warns over US nuclear review
Vienna (AFP) Mar 18, 2002 - A UN watchdog which monitors a ban on nuclear explosions warned Monday of concerns about a new US nuclear posture review which hints at abandonment of a moratorium on atomic testing.

While avoiding direct criticism of Washington, the CTBTO -- which monitors implementatation of the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) -- notably cited concerns over a new atomic so-called "bunker-buster" weapon.

"It is not my task to warn the Americans," said CTBTO head Wolfgang Hoffmann, whose body polices a treaty which has still not come into force, notably because key states like the United States have refused to ratify it.

"But some states naturally do that. Many are talking with the Americans, and I know that some states are unhappy about the way the Americans are conducting their security," he told reporters.

The United States has maintained a moratorium on nuclear tests since 1992, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, and has sought to reach agreement with Moscow over reducing the stockpile of nuclear weapons.

But the Nuclear Posture Review, a secret report to Congress leaked by the US press, suggests the need for new nuclear trials "to meet the nation's defense goals in the 21st century."

Hoffmann said that in his view the US review "has nothing to do with the moratorium on tests".

But he notably cited concern about so-called depenetration weapons, discussed in the review. "This might create a problem for this organization if you build a new penetration weapon with a new nuclear package," he said.

"But this is not decided yet whether there will be a new nuclear package. I hear that it can be done with existing nuclear packages, and then no testing is required."

Overall he conceded that the US opposition to ratifying the CTBT was a key problem.

"One of our main problems is that the United States under their present leadership have said that they will not ratify the treaty," he said, although conceding that Washington was still paying most of its dues to the CTBTO.

But "the political support is missing ... and this is of course inconvenient when we talk to other states, because they rightly ask 'why should we ratify when the Americans don't ratify?'"

by Jean-Michel Stoullig
Washington - Mar 18, 2002
The new US nuclear posture review, which hints at abandonment of an international moratorium on nuclear testing, could lift the taboo on use of such weapons and possibly encourage proliferation, experts suggested Friday.

"One cornerstone of nonproliferation agreements is the idea that there is a norm against the use of nuclear weapons, whether it is moral or military or whatever," said Chris Helman of the Center for Defense Information, a liberal Washington-based think tank.

"There is a widespread acceptance that they are unsuitable weapons, but as soon as they have a value, other people will have them," he added.

The Nuclear Posture Review, a secret report to Congress leaked by the US press, suggests the need for new nuclear trials "to meet the nation's defense goals in the 21st century."

It points to the potential use of US nuclear strikes against non-nuclear armed nations pursuing weapons of mass destruction, as well as former Cold War enemy Russia and China.

The United States must be prepared for potential national security contingencies involving non-nuclear armed neighbors "in setting requirements for nuclear strike capabilities," the review said.

Immediate contingencies could include an Iraqi attack on Israel or its neighbors, a North Korean attack on South Korea, or a military confrontation over the status of Taiwan, the report suggested.

Iran, Syria and Libya could also become immediate contingencies because of their "long standing hostility toward the United States and its security partners," it said.

The review also underscores the Pentagon's concern that a growing number of countries and hostile groups rely on deep underground facilities to hide their weaponry and command posts.

According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, at least 10,000 such bunkers currently exist in over 70 countries.

More than 1,400 of them are used as strategic storage sites for weapons of mass destruction, concealed launch pads for ballistic missiles as well as leadership or top echelon command and control posts, the DIA estimates.

"At present the United States lacks adequate means to deal with these strategic facilities," the review pointed out.

The answer, in the US military's view, lies in developing and testing a new generation of smaller but more effective nuclear weapons, capable of destroying these underground facilities.

"Today's nuclear arsenal continues to reflect its Cold War origin, characterized by moderate delivery accuracy, limited earth penetrator capability, high yield warheads, silo and sea based ballistic missiles with multiple independent reentry vehicles, and limited retargeting capability," the review said.

"New capabilities must be developed to defeat emerging threats such as hard and deeply buried targets ... to find and attack mobile and relocatable targets, to defeat chemical or biological agents, and to improve accuracy and limit collateral damage," it added.

Seeking to dispel some of the criticism leveled against Washington both at home and abroad with disclosure of the report, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Friday hailed the "good work" that went into producing it. He also insisted there was nothing earth-shattering contained within it.

"It has not caused any difficulties with Russia," he insisted in a Pentagon briefing. "The Russians had been briefed on it previously, as had our allies."

US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham on Thursday told a US Senate subcommittee that a 10 million-dollar study was ongoing to see whether existing nuclear warheads could be modified to serve as bunker-busting armaments, for use possibly in conflicts similar to the ongoing campaign in Afghanistan.

The cave and tunnel complexes buried in the mountains of that central Asian country would be ideal targets for the burrowing weapons, Defense experts have suggested, as would the bunkers of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, whose regime is thought to be the next target of the Bush administration's anti-terror war.

All rights reserved. � 2002 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

NUKEWARS

New US Proposals Could Quash Nuclear Taboos

Washington (AFP) Mar 11, 2002
A Pentagon report that pinpoints certain countries for possible nuclear targetting seems to mark an evolution in the US doctrine that discouraged nuclear use.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.