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Debate Whirls Over U.S. Nuclear Decline

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The Associated Press

Published: October 27, 2008

WASHINGTON - The mighty U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons, midwived by World War II and nurtured by the Cold War, is declining in power and purpose while the military's competence in handling the world's most dangerous arms has eroded.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants the next president to think about what nuclear middle-age and decline means for national security. He joins a growing debate about the reliability and future credibility of the American arsenal with his first extensive speech on nuclear arms Tuesday.

Gates is expected to call for increased commitment to preserving the deterrent value of atomic weapons.
Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Adm. Mike Mullen wrote in Joint Force Quarterly that the United States is overdue to retool its nuclear strategy.

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