Sen. Kyl: Obama’s goal for nuclear weapon-free world is ‘loopy’

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) called President Obama’s goal of a nuclear
weapon-free world “loopy” on Tuesday while charging the administration with
allowing Moscow too much sway over America’s atomic arsenal and missile defense
plans.

In a breakfast speech on Capitol Hill, Kyl slammed
the administration for basing its nuclear-weapons and missile-defense
plans on “trying not to offend the Russians.”

He also charged the White House with “ignoring the current
real threats” posed by the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, saying administration
officials have focused on “easier” issues to get “good PR.”

{mosads}Kyl also criticized the administration for “rewriting” U.S.
deterrence policy to fit its desires for a nuclear weapon-free planet.
Reducing U.S. atomic arms will only cause rogue states — and even U.S. allies — to “try to match” the U.S. stockpile, he said.

Doing so could lead to a major global conflict because the
U.S. nuclear deterrent would be offset by other nations’ atomic arsenals, Kyl
said. What’s more, with many more nations nuclear-equipped, every global conflict
would become a nuclear “hair-trigger event,” he warned.

Kyl, the chief opponent of the White House’s drive in
December to win approval of a new
arms treaty with Russia, focused most of his remarks on the administration’s
handling of that nuclear power.

Should Moscow raise concerns about any of Washington’s
missile defense plans, Kyl said he has concluded “the administration won’t do
it.” 

Kyl said it is fine to increase cooperation with Russian
officials on a range of issues, but that he sees “no signs” that the administration’s
policy of resetting U.S.-Russian relation “has benefited the U.S.”

Some senior Pentagon and administration officials have said
they want closer cooperation with Russia on missile defenses in Europe that are
designed to thwart strikes from Iran.

But Kyl objects, saying “it would be a very large mistake to
make Russia a partner on missile defense.”

Greater cooperation with Moscow, he warned, “could drive a
wedge” between Washington and key allies in Europe.

Kyl said nuclear-weapons proponents worked the phones and
persuaded House and Senate leaders to avoid adopting a provision pushed by
House lawmakers to slash over $300 million from the administration’s 2011
request for modernization of existing U.S. nuclear weapons.

He acknowledged House GOP leaders have a tough go of
securing funds for such programs because of how “aggressively” Tea Party-backed
freshmen are insisting on big federal spending reductions. He said ensuring
modernization programs get ample funds in the 2012 budget “will be a challenge.”

Kyl did applaud the administration for sticking by its
promise to devote $85 billion over the next decade for nuclear-weapons
modernization and related facilities work by fully funding those efforts in its
2012 budget plan.