Number: RS21619
Title: Nuclear Weapons and U.S. National Security: A Need for New Weapons Programs?
Authors: Amy F. Woolf, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division 
Abstract: In the 2001 Nuclear Posture Review, the Bush Administration outlines a new role for U.S. nuclear weapons that goes beyond the concept of deterrence from the Cold War. It also identified a new targeting strategy that would seek to threaten specific capabilities in adversary nations. Furthermore, the Administration has pledged to restore and enhance the U.S. nuclear weapons infrastructure, as part of the U.S. effort to deter the emergence of new threats in the future.
Pages: 6
Date: Updated September 15, 2003