The 2010 Nuclear Posture Review Report (pdf) has been anything but a strategic watershed for U.S. nuclear policy. A congressionally-mandated review that establishes the nuclear policy, strategy, force posture, and capabilities of the United States for the next five to ten years, this NPR aggressively promotes the Obama administration's vision for realizing a nuclear free world. But rather than proscriptive policy for definitive action on real issues, the review is more about political posturing and ideological blustering leaving U.S. policymakers without the necessary suite of options for hedging against nuclear risks and addressing the multi-faceted set of challenges this nation faces.
Last week the Obama administration released its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) and the President signed the new START (strategic arms reduction treaty) with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. This week, leaders from more than 40 nations have convened in Washington, D.C. for the Nuclear Security Summit to discuss global nuclear risk and a strategy for controlling insecure nuclear materials. YPNation spoke with William Schirano, an international security consultant based in Washington, D.C., about these recent events.