The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a strategic think-tank based in Washington, D.C., founded by former Sen. Sam Nunn and media philanthropist Ted Turner some 20 years ago, on June 16 released “Statement of Ernest J. Moniz and Sam Nunn, Co-Chairs of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, on the Biden-Putin Summit,” in which former U.S. Secretary of Energy Prof. Ernest J. Moniz and former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn heartily endorse the “U.S.-Russia Presidential Joint Statement on Strategic Stability”: “We strongly support President Biden and President Putin’s decision to meet today in Geneva,” Nunn and Moniz say. “We endorse their decision to begin a new bilateral dialogue on arms control and risk reduction measures. … The clear statement by the two presidents that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought is an important foundation for reducing nuclear risks. This builds on their earlier decision to extend the New START Treaty. Together, these two actions can lead to other practical steps to reduce the risk of nuclear use and avoid an arms race.”
On June 10, NTI released a series of papers under the collective title, “U.S. Nuclear Policies for a Safer World,” with the Introduction authored by NTI Co-Chairs Ernest Moniz and Sam Nunn, “Strengthening the Foundation for Nuclear Stability,” calling on the United States “to resume a position of global leadership to reduce the risks posed by nuclear weapons. Their recommendations—which are further elaborated and reinforced in seven related policy papers by NTI experts and former officials—include proposals for changes to U.S. nuclear policy and posture, reengagement with Russia on a range of strategic stability and arms control issues, sustained dialogue and nuclear risk reduction measures with China, and recommitment to multilateral efforts to strengthen the global nonproliferation regime,” states the NTI Summary.
[https://media.nti.org/documents/NTI_Paper_U.S._Nuclear_Policies_for_a_Safer_World.pdf]
In their Introduction they urge: “It is crucial to build and sustain domestic support for nuclear security policies that will keep Americans safe. Congress should establish a new bipartisan liaison group, comprising House and Senate leaders and senior administration officials—focused on Russia policy, nuclear risks, and NATO. Such a group would facilitate regular communication and greater coherence between the executive and legislative branches and help rebuild consensus in support of engagement and arms control as essential tools in advancing U.S. national security.
“The Biden administration should also work to establish policies and processes to put guardrails around the president’s ‘sole authority’ to order the use of nuclear weapons to ensure that any such decision would be deliberative and based on appropriate planning and consultation, including with leaders in Congress. Implementation would be dependent on the particular circumstances that are causing consideration of nuclear use….”
The essays in the 56-page document include recommending additional steps “to adapt U.S.
nuclear policy and posture to reduce the risk of use of nuclear weapons.” These include:
“Undertaking an internal ‘failsafe review’ to ensure that U.S. nuclear weapons and command-and-control and warning systems are hardened against cyberattacks and to identify other steps that could increase decision time for leaders in a crisis and reduce the risk that a terrible miscalculation could lead to inadvertent nuclear conflict. This review should reexamine post-launch destruct devices on U.S. nuclear weapons and other measures to reduce the risk of nuclear war….
