ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:95081110.POL
DATE:08/11/95
TITLE:SAFE, RELIABLE NUCLEAR STOCKPILE IS U.S. GOAL, PERRY SAYS
TEXT:
(Holum says Clinton decision will aid CTBT talks) (730)
By Jacquelyn S. Porth
USIA Security Affairs Correspondent
Washington -- "A safe, reliable nuclear stockpile is in the supreme
national interest of the United States," Defense Secretary Perry said
August 11 following President Clinton's decision not to test any
nuclear weapons again, not even those of the lowest yield.
Perry stressed that he remains responsible for maintaining a credible
nuclear deterrent force into the future as well as retaining a safe
and reliable nuclear stockpile after a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
(CTBT) is concluded. Negotiators are hoping to conclude a CTBT in
1996.
The secretary noted that the president could change his position if
the secretaries of Defense and Energy "determined that there was a
(nuclear weapons) reliability problem that could not be addressed"
through the Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship (SBSS) program.
SBSS is the principal feature of the U.S. nuclear safeguards program,
according to Perry, but new verification techniques will also be
important. Most importantly, he said, a system will be created to
identify a major nuclear weapons system failure should it occur.
The secretary said the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation's top
military leaders, agree with him that "the SBSS system with
safeguards" will protect the existing U.S. nuclear stockpile
sufficiently. The United States is not developing any new nuclear
weapons.
The president could make a decision "to return to tests," Perry said,
if both Perry and Energy Secretary O'Leary determine that there is "a
reliability problem" that cannot be addressed "through the SBSS
program alone."
Meanwhile, Director John Holum of the U.S. Arms Control and
Disarmament Agency (ACDA) said the president's decision "will help
resolve by far the toughest nut" in the CTBT negotiations in Geneva.
The zero yield decision, he said, "makes the test ban negotiable,
because it treats all countries the same."
Perry laid out the four options he considered before making his
recommendation to the president last week:
-- a zero yield option supplemented by the SBSS;
-- a micro yield option including some minor hydronuclear testing;
-- a low yield option testing up to about one kiloton of explosives;
and
-- a full yield option.
He said he reached his decision following consultations with the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, the Department of Energy, civilian scientists,
government nuclear laboratories and intelligence experts. Based on
those contacts, the secretary decided that the low yield option would
have limited value if exercised and would not be necessary in order to
monitor the safety and reliability of the shrinking U.S. nuclear
weapons stockpile.
Perry said he selected the SBSS model, which uses computer modeling
and new experimental facilities, because he felt it "would be adequate
for most contingencies." The reliability, and not the safety, of aging
nuclear weapons was the paramount concern, he explained.
In response to questions from reporters following Perry's remarks,
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy
Ashton Carter said "some components" of the nuclear weapons test site
in Nevada will be kept in a state of readiness so that nuclear tests
can be reactivated "within a short period of time" if the president
decides it is necessary "or if, for some other reason, the (test ban)
treaty were not adhered to or signed by other partners and testing
needed to be resumed."
Carter said U.S. allies, including the French, have been informed
about the U.S. testing decision. The United States has "shared its
thinking" on how best to conduct SBSS activities and how to "retain
safe and reliable arsenals," he said, as other allies conduct their
own deliberations on the testing debate.
Jan Lodal, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, who
joined Perry and Carter at the Pentagon briefing, stressed the
importance "of thorough consultation and explanation of how we came to
our conclusion (in order) to try to bring the other parties around to
this."
Carter said the United States has been consulting with British
officials on the nuclear testing issue. "The British government has
not announced a decision" on this, he said.
The nuclear weapons safeguards program provides the confidence needed
for the United States "to walk down this path," Carter added. He said
the United States hopes all nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states
will join in signing a CTBT.
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