Obama keeps head of nuclear weapons program

The Obama Administration announced it will retain Thomas D'Agostino as head of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, a decision met with dismay by many in the arms control and non-proliferation community, who fear that retaining key figures from the Bush Administration who supported expansion of the country's nuclear arsenal will make it harder to implement the soaring vision for a nuclear-free future that President Obama has articulated. Marylia Kelley of the Ploughshares-funded Tri Valley CAREs said, "He's part of a triumvirate of Bush appointees who are committed to making further modifications in the U.S. nuclear weapons program. While I applaud the president's April 5th speech in Prague, my concern is with how we take the first steps toward that goal. And I don't think this decision bodes well for moving in the right direction."