U.S. has exactly 5,113 active nuclear weapons. Exactly 5,113 away from zero

As the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review got underway in New York this week, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, took the occasion to reveal just how many active nuclear weapons the U.S. still has - 5,113. This number does not, of course, include the estimated “several thousand more” that are stockpiled awaiting dismantlement. What do we think of all this? Check the Beyond Nuclear Facebook page to find out more and join the discussion.

Cautious steps still order of the day for Obama nuclear weapons policy

In an April 6 announcement, the Obama White House laid out its strategy for nuclear weapons development and use. According to a story in the Washington Post, the announcement was "more cautious than many supporters had hoped, with the president opting for a middle course in many key areas." The plans do not take weapons off hair-trigger alert as some in the disarmament community had hoped. The announcement was largely seen as a curtain-raiser for Obama's nuclear security summit in Washington, DC April 13 and 14.

Karl Grossman to speak on nuclear-powered weapons in space in Asheville

Beyond Nuclear board of directors member Karl Grossman, an investigative journalist who has reported on nuclear power issues for decades, will speak in Asheville, North Carolina on March 25th about U.S. military-industrial complex plans for nuclear-powered weapons in outer space. Karl also serves on the board of directors for the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. The Western North Carolina Physicians for Social Responsibility is the main sponsor, and have put out an announcement; additional information can be found on their website. Karl's latest article is entitled "Nuclear plant for Israel?", which has run in Manhattan Jewish Sentinel, Long Island Jewish World and Jewish Tribune. It was also published as an op-ed in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

A call to rebuild the movement for nuclear disarmament

Writing on OpEdNews.com, Peace Action's Kevin Martin and Scoville Fellow, Lisa Putkey, make the case for remobilizing the nuclear disarmament movement in the face of the White House decision to pour billions of dollars into the U.S. nuclear weapons conference. The full article is on OpEdNews but below is an important excerpt:

"In response to Obama's agenda for a nuclear-free world, many in Congress seek to condition further reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal on funding for new nuclear warhead production. On December 15, 2009, 40 Republican Senators and one Independent sent a letter to President Obama stating, ""we don't believe further reductions [in our nuclear arsenal] can be in the national security interest of the U.S. in the absence of a significant program to modernize our nuclear deterrent." By "modernization" they mean increased funding to our nuclear arsenal to make sure it continues to be the best of the best. The nuclear weapons laboratories, contractors and the nuclear bureaucracies in the Pentagon and Energy Department where the nearly $60 billion in annual funding for nuclear weapons resides all have a vested interest in keeping the nuclear weapons policy status-quo and are addicted to new toys and capital-intensive projects."

Panel discusses Iran's nuclear program

A panel hosted by the Project for Nuclear Awareness discussed Iran's nuclear program and its implications for proliferation, which can be viewed on the C-SPAN Web site.