by Brendan Lalor
In a Nov. 22 story, I conveyed word from the Friends Committee on National Legislation about a victory for nuclear disarmament. Here is a correction they have sent out:
Initially, FCNL was informed by congressional sources that there would be no funds allocated for “advanced test readiness.” However, we now know that $22.5 million–$7.5 million less than the Bush administration’s budget request–has been appropriated to prepare the Nevada Test Site for a nuclear test explosion. While the Bush administration contends that it has no plans to end the 12-year-old nuclear testing moratorium, the administration had asked for funds to shorten the test-preparation period from 36 months to 18 months. According to Arms Control Today, the budget cut “will likely ensure that 24 months will be the minimum achievable timeframe.”
[Some good news remains:] Funds for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, or bunker-buster, and “advanced concepts” for nuclear weapons have been completely eliminated.