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Supports the goal of a nuclear weapons free world, and international arms control agreements
And that's why I'll lead a global effort to secure all loose nuclear materials during my first term in office…Here's what I'll say as President: America seeks a world in which there are no nuclear weapons. We will not pursue unilateral disarmament. As long as nuclear weapons exist, we'll retain a strong nuclear deterrent. But we'll keep our commitment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty on the long road towards eliminating nuclear weapons. We'll work with Russia to take U.S. and Russian ballistic missiles off hair-trigger alert, and to dramatically reduce the stockpiles of our nuclear weapons and material. We'll start by seeking a global ban on the production of fissile material for weapons. And we'll set a goal to expand the U.S.-Russian ban on intermediate-range missiles so that the agreement is global.
As we do this, we'll be in a better position to lead the world in enforcing the rules of the road if we firmly abide by those rules. It's time to stop giving countries like Iran and North Korea an excuse. It's time for America to lead. When I'm President, we'll strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so that nations that don't comply will automatically face strong international sanctions.
-Barack Obama, Remarks at DePaul University, October 2, 2007
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Senator Obama has said that he supports reductions in nuclear weapons; and that means going significantly below the levels in the current agreement of 1,700-2,200 deployed warheads. He also wants those agreements to be verifiable, either through extension of the START verification provisions or some other arrangement worked out in discussions with Russia.
-John Holum, Obama Campaign Representative, Arms Control Association Forum, June 16, 2008
Says the only purpose for nuclear weapons is deterrence; seeks a world where they have no utility
Senator Obama has recognized that crossing the nuclear threshold is not simply passing a gradient, but plunging into a different realm. Rather than finding new ways to use nuclear weapons, we need to confirm that, in today’s world, their only utility is to deter an attack on us. And in the world he seeks, they’ll have no utility at all.
-John Holum, Obama Campaign Representative, Arms Control Association Forum, June 16, 2008
Opposes “rushing” to produce new nuclear warheads, such as the Reliable Replacement Warhead
I believe the United States should lead the international effort to deemphasize the role of nuclear weapons around the world. I also believe that our policy towards the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) affects this leadership position. We can maintain a strong nuclear deterrent to protect our security without rushing to produce a new generation of warheads. I do not support a premature decision to produce the RRW.
-Barack Obama, quoted in Council for a Livable World candidate questionnaire, 2008 Presidential Candidates' Responses to Seven Key National Security Questions, August 16, 2007
Supports weapons research at Los Alamos National Laboratory and supports increasing nonproliferation research at LANL
Los Alamos National Laboratory would remain a weapons-research facility under a Barack Obama administration, Obama said Monday. But if he's elected, LANL also would be at the forefront of research for technology to aide in nuclear nonproliferation. Obama, who was in Las Cruces for a Memorial Day ceremony, was asked in a phone interview whether he would keep LANL as a weapons research facility. "Absolutely," he replied. "Los Alamos has been one of our premier research facilities, and we need to do more research in this area, in part because we've got to deal with the critical issues of nonproliferation," the Democratic contender said. Obama said he would put a priority on developing technology to detect "loose," unaccounted-for nuclear material. He also said there needs to be a technology to ensure nuclear materials designed for civilian purposes in countries that don't currently have nuclear weapons are not turned into bombs.
-Steve Terrell, Obama Touts Los Alamos Nat'l Laboratory's Potential; Praises for Gov. Richardson, The Santa Fe New Mexican, May 27, 2008
Supports ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
And we should take advantage of recent technological advances to build bipartisan consensus behind ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
-Barack Obama, Renewing American Leadership, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2007
Supports a nonproliferation strategy to secure loose nuclear weapons in four years
And it is important for us to rebuild a nuclear nonproliferation strategy -- something that this administration, frankly, has ignored, and has made us less safe as a consequence. It would not cost us that much, for example, and it would take about four years for us to lock down the loose nuclear weapons that are still floating out there, and we have not done the job.
-Barack Obama, Democratic Presidential Debate, January 5, 2008
Supports strong sanctions for countries that do not comply with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
As we do this, we’ll be in a better position to lead the world in enforcing the rules of the road if we firmly abide by those rules. It’s time to stop giving countries like Iran and North Korea an excuse. It’s time for America to lead. When I’m President, we’ll strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so that nations that don’t comply will automatically face strong international sanctions.
-Barack Obama, Remarks at DePaul University, October 2, 2007
Opposes using nuclear weapons against terrorist targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan
“I think it would be a profound mistake for us to use nuclear weapons in any circumstance,” Mr. Obama said, with a pause, “involving civilians.” Then he quickly added, “Let me scratch that. There’s been no discussion of nuclear weapons. That’s not on the table.” […]
But when asked by The Associated Press after a Capitol Hill breakfast with constituents whether there was any circumstance where he would be prepared or willing to use nuclear weapons to defeat terrorism and Osama bin Laden, Mr. Obama replied that “There’s been no discussion of using nuclear weapons and that’s not a hypothetical that I’m going to discuss.”
When asked whether his answer also applied to the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons, he said it did.
-The New York Times’ Caucus Blog, Obama on the Use of Nuclear Weapons, August 2, 2007
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