Secretary of Defense

  • Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has ordered two reviews of America's nuclear force in the wake of mounting reports of drug use, drinking, womanizing, cheating and lapsed discipline among top officers. But if the studies focus only on personnel, it will be little more than rearranging the deck chairs on a nuclear Titanic. The core problem is not the people; it's the mission.

    January 24, 2014 - By Joe Cirincione
  • On Thursday, Rachel Maddow asked me if President Obama was going to fulfill the visionary agenda he laid out four years ago in Prague. I paused. What should I say? I support this agenda to move us step by step towards what Obama termed "the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons." But progress has been slow. I took a deep breath and answered the only way I could: honestly.

    April 5, 2013 - By Joe Cirincione
  • Ploughshares Fund congratulates Senator Chuck Hagel on his nomination by President Barack Obama for secretary of defense. His strong record of leadership on national security will make him a valuable asset for the Department of Defense during this period of strategic challenge and transition.

    January 9, 2013 - By admin
  • In a recent article, Jeffrey Lewis of Arms Control Wonk outlined what could happen to U.S. nuclear forces under a sequestration budget. He illustrates that even with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s so-called “doomsday” cuts to nuclear weapons related activities, the U.S. could still field enough warheads to greatly surpass the limits put in place by New START.

    What could that “doomsday” look like if the U.S. maximized its nuclear forces? (View at full size)

    December 5, 2011 - By Peter Fedewa