OPINION:
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. plans to discuss arms control with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this month in Munich (“Biden to use Obama’s postelection ’flexibility’ on weapons with Russia,” Web, Thursday). The postelection nuclear-disarmament flexibility promised by President Obama to Russia in an open-microphone gaffe in 2012 may now be realized. The way he would accomplish that is through a discussion with Russia. At the same time, Mr. Obama appears to be ignoring the nuclear buildup of communist China and North Korea, and radical Iran.
Mr. Obama seeks rapid Senate confirmation for his defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel. As the president’s intelligence advisory board chairman, along with other members and Gen. James E. Cartwright, Mr. Hagel supports the unilateral nuclear disarmament of America. Complete nuclear disarmament of our country has been a dream of Mr. Obama’s since he took office in 2009, but it would be wrong and dangerous for our country.
Mr. Obama’s last START nuclear agreement with Russia did not cover 10,000 tactical nukes pointed at NATO and used to intimidate our allies. It did not cover rail-mobile ICBMs and launchers established in the previously expired START. It now hinders our efforts to modernize our forces and build a comprehensive missile defense, it is unverifiable, it reduces our stockpile and it fails to prevent proliferation.
Mr. Obama has brought us nothing but liabilities in trying to ingratiate himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin. We can say we’re friends with Russia, but Mr. Putin acts in a hostile manner to try to expel America from the Middle East, Europe and other parts of the globe. Mr. Putin, along with the leaders of communist China, continues to assist Syria’s President Bashar Assad, Iran’s aggressive military buildup, Hamas, Hezbollah and other anti-American, radical Islamist militias.
LT. COL. DOMINIK GEORGE NARGELE
U.S. Marines (Retired)
Arlington
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