Ban the bomb? Ask the generals

 
Writing in today's Guardian, Micah Zenko considers the role which the US military- in particular the Joint Chiefs of Staff- has to play in nuclear abolition.
 
For example, he looks at statements questioning the utility of nuclear weapons from several US military commanders, and their preference for conventional payloads usable in current conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and against potential regional adversaries such as North Korea and Iran.
 
Zenko concludes his piece by arguing that "It is America's admirals and generals who must take the first step" towards abolition, providing President Obama with the requisite "political cover" in multilateral negotiations aimed at lifting the nuclear shadow. 
 
For Zenko, the US's new Nuclear Posture Review, to be announced in late 2009, will therefore be a key indicator of the Joint Chief's stance on nuclear weapons and the potential for progress on global disarmament.
 
Read the article here.