Sec. Clinton Says New START is Critical to National Security

Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the Senate to ratify the New START treaty after returning from recess in September.  Further delays in New START ratification will only erode U.S. national security interests.  

Clinton declared:

There is an urgency to ratify this treaty because we currently lack verification measures with Russia which only hurts our national security interests. Our ability to know and understand changes in Russia’s nuclear arsenal will erode without the treaty. As time passes, uncertainty will increase. With uncertainty comes unpredictability, which, when you’re dealing with nuclear weapons, is absolutely a problem that must be addressed. Ratifying the new START treaty will prevent that outcome.

(Note: Click here to watch Secretary Clinton's full speech on New START)

Nukes of Hazard, a project of Ploughshares Fund grantee the Center for Arms Control & Non-proliferation, posted the speech transcript and called for the Senate to "Ratify New START STAT!" 

Joe Cirincione, president of Ploughshares Fund, also blogged about Secretary Clinton's speech in The Hill, a widely read Congressional publication.  Joe echoed Secretary Clinton's warnings and urged senators to "put national security ahead of politics and pork."