July 18, 2007 :: Defense News :: News
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry testified before a House subcommittee on July 18 to discuss U.S. nuclear policy and missile defense. Perry said that he believed the greatest threat to the U.S. comes from terrorists detonating a nuclear weapon in an American city. Such an attack could result in thousands of deaths, billions of dollars in damage to the U.S. economy and a global recession. Perry recommended that to reduce this threat, the U.S. focus its energy on reducing its nuclear stockpile dramatically in conjunction with the Russians, and strengthen non-proliferation efforts and security around nuclear facilities abroad. Perry furthermore criticized the current emphasis on missile defense, stating "Terrorists would not use a ballistic missile to deliver their bomb, they would use a truck or freighter." Other testimony encouraged the U.S. to maintain a healthy and robust nuclear policy, that would inspire confidence from non-nuclear allies such as Japan and Saudi Arabia. Should the U.S. reduce its stockpiles precipitously, other countries may question whether the U.S. could protect them and "go nuclear," foiling non-proliferation efforts.
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