Lugar-Obama is merely an extension of the exsisting Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program in 92 which targeted nuclear non-proliferation in the former Soviet Union. Lugar-Obama provides more money for the removal of conventional stockpiles.
This is comendable, but the heavy lifting behind this legislation was completed while Obama was still running for Senate. BHO was brought in for his special fundraising talents. Getting a Defense Dept funding bill passed during a Repub administration isn’t exactly taking a difficult stand.
Nunn and Lugar spent over 15 years following through on their original legislation. Lugar-Obama only became law 14 months ago, so we can only guess what will happen.
According to the link:
The Committee provides $48,059,000 to implement these programs, of which $10,000,000 is under Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance, $36,059,000 is under the Small Arms and Light Weapons Destruction program, and $2,000,000 is under the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund.”
Sound to me like Nonproliferation isn’t the biggest priority.
Lugar-Obama
http://lugar.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=278019
Comment by jmc3 — May 1, 2008 @ 5:05 pm
Lugar-Obama is merely an extension of the exsisting Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program in 92 which targeted nuclear non-proliferation in the former Soviet Union. Lugar-Obama provides more money for the removal of conventional stockpiles.
This is comendable, but the heavy lifting behind this legislation was completed while Obama was still running for Senate. BHO was brought in for his special fundraising talents. Getting a Defense Dept funding bill passed during a Repub administration isn’t exactly taking a difficult stand.
Nunn and Lugar spent over 15 years following through on their original legislation. Lugar-Obama only became law 14 months ago, so we can only guess what will happen.
According to the link:
The Committee provides $48,059,000 to implement these programs, of which $10,000,000 is under Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance, $36,059,000 is under the Small Arms and Light Weapons Destruction program, and $2,000,000 is under the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund.”
Sound to me like Nonproliferation isn’t the biggest priority.
Comment by Danger Bear — May 1, 2008 @ 7:23 pm