REMEMBERING PAUL NITZE'S COMPLETE REJECTION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Email from John LaForge, Nukewatch Wisconsin:

AS WE APPROACH THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TWO U.S. ATOMIC BOMBINGS ...

a clear, authoritative warning of how to insure that Hiroshima and Nagasaki never happen again was made by Paul H. Nitze, the arch-conservative presidential advisor to Ronald Reagan and former Navy Secretary. Nitze explained in the New York Times his complete rejection of nuclear weapons (reversing his decades of pro-nuclear advocacy), even disavowing and rebutting the military's rationale for keeping them, 'nuclear deterrence.' Nitze wrote in part:

“It would be safe now to dispose, unilaterally, of our nuclear arsenal. … I can think of no circumstances under which it would be wise for the United States to use nuclear weapons, even in retaliation for their prior use against us....

"In view of the fact that we can achieve our objectives with conventional weapons, there is no purpose to be gained through the use of our nuclear arsenal." See Nitze's complete statement:

Opinion | A Threat Mostly to Ourselves

Opinion | A Threat Mostly to Ourselves Former arms control negotiator Paul H Nitze Op-Ed article contends that US should unilaterally get rid of its nu...