SS-18
Picture Source: U.S. Senate

When the Soviet Union was replaced by Russia and the former Russian States, a huge problem arose. The Soviet Union was a huge country that had nuclear weapons spread across it immense territory. The command and control for these weapons ceased to exist in many areas. It wasn't that the different countries that were formed when the Soviet Union dissolved wanted this to happen, but one has to remember that the Soviet armed forces were now fragmented and in most cases, were not being paid. There were many cases where troops would leave their equipment in the field and have to scavenge for food. Some unscrupulous people would sell their weapons to the highest bidders. Nuclear scientists were also going unpaid and in some cases were starving. Because of this situation, some of these scientists were willing to sell their talents to anyone. It was not a pretty picture. The world suddenly was in more danger of nuclear attack than it had been under the Soviet system.

It seems that some Soviets that were very concerned about this situation approached U.S. Senator Lugar of Indiana and Senator Nunn of Georgia. The situation was made clear to them and the U.S. was asked to help. The arsenal of the former Soviet Union was the biggest one in the world and it was becoming a supermarket for terrorist groups. The irony of this whole thing was the fact that when the Soviet Union dissolved, it was thought that the nuclear thread to the U.S. was eased, but nothing could have been further from the truth. One of the checks that held back nuclear attack between the Soviets and the U.S. was the threat of mutual destruction. Terrorists don't have any such fear. They would simply launch from the most convenient country, not caring what happened to that country. And furthermore, we are not only talking of nuclear weapons here, we must consider the threat of biological and chemical weapons also. On top of all this, we may not be facing a missile attack. A terrorist could smuggle in one of these weapons and set it off. Indeed we are in dire trouble unless we can eliminate all terrorist groups.

Even if we are not talking about terrorist groups but rogue states, would these states still be deterred by mutual destruction, or would they think they were on a holy mission to destroy us? After all, if a people think that they are all going to heaven and it is a better place, what would hold them back? Just look at all the people willing to blow themselves up.

On March 23, 1999 Senator Lugar testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He was very clear on the threats facing this country. He also outlined the great progress that was made destroying weapons in Russia with the help of the U.S.. He said there was much more to be done but as of that date Nunn and Lugar had helped destroy 362 ballistic missiles, 343 ballistic missile launchers, 49 bombers, 136 submarine missile launchers and 30 submarine launched ballistic missiles. They have also helped seal 181 nuclear test tunnels. The 4828 warheads that were aimed at the U.S. have been deactivated. This is quite an accomplishment, but still much is left to be done.

When the Soviet Union dissolved, Ukraine, Kazakstan and Belarus became the third, fourth and eight largest nuclear powers in the world. But an amazing thing happened, we helped them and now they are nuclear free. Not only were the weapons destroyed but we also instituted various programs for the removal of nuclear materials. An example of one such program was Project Sapphire. In 1994 we sent two cargo planes to Kazakstan and removed enough nuclear material to make up to 30 nuclear bombs. We also are purchasing nuclear capable aircraft. We bought 21 MiG-29s from Moldova. These aircraft were built for the purpose of launching nuclear weapons. The purchase was made to prevent the planes from being sold to Iran.

Enter 2003. We have now spent over five billion on the destruction of former Soviet weapons. The current Russian defense budget is eight billion dollars as compared to the U.S. defense budget of 380 billion. But there is a problem. Further funding is being withheld and the Russians system of accounting for all missiles and weapons destroyed has broken down. They really don't know how many weapons are being destroyed. It is obvious that they are destroying weapons, but some could slip through the cracks. I am not saying, necessarily, that a nuclear weapon would be sold but what I am saying is that one may not be destroyed and later stolen.

Backfire Bomber
Picture Source: U.S. Army

To give you an idea of what we are up against, the U.S. delegation to Russia was touring weapons plants and warehouses. They come to an old dilapidated building. It sort of resembles a winery. On the shelves are containers of Sarin nerve gas. One container can kill 100,000 people. There are over 2 MILLION containers in the building. There are other nerve gas warehouses in the former Soviet Union. Russia has seven such warehouses. If they worked at it every day, it would take years to destroy the entire stock of gas in this one place. The Russians admit to forty million metric tons of chemical weapons, but it may be a lot more. It is an embarrassment to the Russians that the old regime may have violated treaties and produced a lot more gas than they were allowed.

In 2003 it was announced that 40 percent of the entire Russian stockpile had been secured. Every little bit helps and forty percent is very good, but what about the remaining 60 percent? Mr. Nunn the former senator, estimates that the 60 percent left is not being safeguarded at a level that we would require for our own weapons.

President Bush has gently pushed for a permanent waiver of the conditions that are holding back the funds for further destruction of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, but it doesn't seem that he is pushing hard enough. Even though the president held a ceremony and treaty signing with the Russians on the strategic offensive reductions, he was informed by Mr. Lugar, that with the restrictions on U.S. assistance, that implementing this treaty will be very difficult. Luckily the U.S. has just received a commitment by the other major industrial nations to give 10 billion dollars over ten years for the destruction of these weapons. We must make sure we realize this pledge and receive all the promised funds so that we may use them for the task they were ear marked for.

In this troubled world it is very important that we get rid of all unwanted Russian weapons of mass destruction and help them to be able to safeguard the rest at a reliable level.