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Despite START Treaty, Obama escalates nuclear weapons spending

“Regrettably, his words belie his actions. The fiscal year 2011 federal budget calls for increased funding for new nuclear production facilities,

Close out the nuclear era Bennington Banner 11/11/2010 “………President Obama, at the signing of the START agreement, said: “So today, I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.

“Regrettably, his words belie his actions. The fiscal year 2011 federal budget calls for increased funding for new nuclear production facilities, including a new uranium processing plant at Oak Ridge, Tenn., with an increased price tag from $94 million in FY10 to $115 million in FY11, climbing to $320 million by 2015.

Also, in June, ground was broken for a $700 million plant to produce the non-nuclear components of nuclear warheads. In addition, $225 million is requested for a new facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory for the production of fissionable cores, called “pits,” for nuclear weapons.

The funding for the pit facility is proposed to climb to $300 million for each of the succeeding fiscal years.Clearly, any opportunity to reduce the number of nuclear weapons must not be wasted. Even though the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1970 requires the five nuclear armed signatories of England, France, Russia, China and the United States “Š to halt the development of all nuclear weapons …” national and international politics have, so far, not allowed that to happen.It’s a START but what the world needs now is an END to nuclear weapons…..

Close out the nuclear era – Bennington Banner

November 12, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons