"US ramping up major renewal in nuclear arms" by William J. Broad and David E. Sanger | New York Times September 22, 2014
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new plant in a former soybean field makes the mechanical guts of America’s atomic warheads. Bigger than the Pentagon, full of futuristic gear and thousands of workers, the plant, dedicated last month, modernizes the aging weapons that the United States can fire from missiles, bombers, and submarines.
It is part of a nationwide wave of atomic revitalization that includes plans for a new generation of weapon carriers. A recent federal study put the collective price tag, over the next three decades, at up to a trillion dollars.
Yeah, that's with a T!
Not the kind of "t" you might find in enforced au$teriTy with all its commen$urate excu$es from on high.
This from the non-proliferation, Nobel Prize winning president who will do everything and anything to stop Iran, harrumph, harrumph?
Maybe that's why the Globe never put it in my print, because believe me, I looked for it. How could you miss a mu$hroom cloud like this?
It's the Obama image thing and the contradictory contrast, isn't it?
This expansion comes under a president who campaigned for “a nuclear-free world” and made disarmament a main goal of US defense policy.
He meant that for others -- (shudder) -- not himself or the EUSraeli Empire for which he fronts.
The original idea was that modest rebuilding of the nation’s crumbling nuclear complex would speed arms refurbishment, raising confidence in the arsenal’s reliability and paving the way for new treaties that would cut the number of warheads.
Build and modernize so we can cut? That's looks like a win for only one set of war-profiteers to me.
And after all the trillions invested in it over decades, it is now crumbling? Where did all the money go?
Instead, the Obama administration is engaging in extensive atomic rebuilding while getting only modest arms reductions in return.
I know it is a nothing more than a back-slapping, self-adulating, self-aggrandizing award of elitists upon themselves; however, he should be made to give back that worthless Prize.
Supporters of arms control, as well as some of President Obama’s closest advisers, say their hopes for his vision have turned to disappointment.
After six years the boat is pretty damn full, but climb aboard, welcome aboard!!
“A lot of it is hard to explain,” said Sam Nunn, the former senator whose writings on nuclear disarmament deeply influenced Obama. “The president’s vision was a significant change in direction. But the process has preserved the status quo.”
And now you have the key to understanding the disappointments with the failed presidency.
Arms controllers say the White House has made some progress toward Obama’s broader agenda. Nunn credits the president with improving nuclear security around the globe, persuading other leaders to sweep up loose nuclear materials that terrorists could seize.
In the end, however, budget realities may do more than nuclear philosophies to curb the atomic upgrades.
So they are not going to be able to do this?
“There isn’t enough money,” said Jeffrey Lewis, of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Although the Kansas City plant is considered a success, other planned renovations are mired in delays and cost overruns. Even so, Congress can fight hard for projects that represent big-ticket items in key districts.
Yeah, they will all get paid cost plus overruns and who cares about corruption in the military-industrial complex?
Skeptics say the arsenal is dependable and the costly overhauls are aimed less at arms control than at seeking votes.
But the Obama administration insists that the improvements to the nuclear arsenal are vital to making it smaller, more flexible, and better able to fulfill Obama’s original vision.
What exactly is that "vision?"
Daniel B. Poneman, the outgoing deputy secretary of energy, whose department runs the complex, said, “The whole design of the modernization enables us to make reductions.”
Is it just me, or does that sound damn contradictory?
We need bigger and better "guns" so we can reduce them -- from a government that is seeking to take away your guns while arming itself to the teeth at all layers and levels.
It's really a frightening society we have here, full of authoritarianism and militarism with ma$$ media worship included.
In fall 2008, as Obama campaigned for the presidency, a coalition of peace groups sued to halt work on a replacement bomb plant in Kansas City. They cited the prospect of a new administration that might, as one litigant put it, kill the project in “a few months.”
The $700 million weapons plant survived. But in April 2009, the new president and Dmitry A. Medvedev of Russia vowed to rapidly complete an arms treaty called New START.
The accord with Moscow was hammered out quickly. The countries agreed to cut strategic arms roughly 30 percent over seven years. It was a modest step. The Russian arsenal was already declining, and today has dropped below the agreed number, experts say.
I'm sorry, would you say that again? I couldn't hear you over the din of the Ukraine.
Them damn Russians, being all peaceful!
Even so, to win Senate approval of the treaty, Obama struck a deal with Republicans in 2010 that would set the country’s nuclear agenda for decades to come.
In open and classified reports to Congress, Obama laid out his atomic refurbishment plans, which the Congressional Budget Office now estimates will cost $355 billion over the next decade. But that is just the start. The price tag will soar after 10 years as missiles, bombers, and submarines made in the last century reach the end of their useful lives and replacements are built.
Meaning the war machine will never want for loot, That is if this bankrupted hulk of a rank and fetid carcass breathing death and decay $urvives that long.
“That’s where all the big money is,” Ashton B. Carter, the former deputy secretary of defense, said last year. “By comparison, everything that we’re doing now is cheap.”
Must be why the Globe mi$$ed printing it.
--more--"
Related(?): Hagel Said to Be Stepping Down as Defense Chief Under Pressure
Whatever the reasons, they are certainly not the official explanation or reason:
"Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel steps down; Some officials cite rifts with Obama" by Bryan Bender, Globe Staff November 24, 2014
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel resigned Monday after a two-year tenure that drew sharp criticism for the handling of the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and what Obama administration officials said was a loss of confidence in the only Republican in the Cabinet.
Chuck the first casualty of the election loss?
In a brief White House announcement that carried the pall of a political funeral, President Obama said it was “an appropriate time” for Hagel to resign.
I feel that way about the president, but be that as it may.
***************
Hagel is planning to remain at his post until his successor is nominated and confirmed by the Senate, a process that could take weeks if not months.
Then this story should be gone in a flash.
The shake-up comes as the Pentagon is confronting a series of major challenges, including the nearly four-month air campaign against the Islamic State, the response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Russia’s military foray into Ukraine, and a host of budget shortfalls.
Yeah, right. They get what they want, and sometimes Congress gives them even more.
On Monday, the Pentagon announced nine more airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria and 15 airstrikes across Iraq.
The announcement also came as Secretary of State John F. Kerry revealed a seven-month extension of negotiations with Iran about curbing its nuclear program....
Related:
No Deal With Iran
Wide gulf facing Iran nuclear talks
US proposes extending nuclear talks with Iran
Iran nuclear talks extended for another seven months
Even helping us fight ISIS.
In a message to the troops and civilian Pentagon workers, Hagel, 68, said he was proud of his accomplishments, citing efforts to prepare the government of Afghanistan to take over the fight against the Taliban and action against the Islamic State that has “blunted the momentum of this barbaric enemy.”
Well, no, but....
But it was clear that Hagel struggled to get his footing at the Pentagon and was widely considered ill-equipped to manage all the challenges.
And Israel pounded him during confirmation, remember?
They didn't like him being in the globalist (and wealthy sheik Arab) Atlantic Council.
“Hagel’s biggest problem was that he was temperamentally ill-suited to running a big and politically sensitive bureaucracy,” said Loren Thompson, a defense consultant with close ties to the Pentagon leadership. “You could see that from the beginning of his confirmation hearings when he did not answer questions well.”
Thompson also said some events quickly spun out of control, such as Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.
Hey, it's the fallout of mythical narratives and distortions.
Not everyone found fault with Hagel. Republicans, including some who voted against his confirmation two years ago, rushed to his defense.
“I know that Chuck was frustrated with aspects of the administration’s national security policy and decision-making process,” Senator John McCain of Arizona, who in January will become chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. He cited “excessive micro-management” from the White House as a hindrance to top military officials doing their jobs.
Hagel, who was the second enlisted soldier in modern times to become secretary of defense and the first Vietnam veteran, also drew especially high marks for his steadfast support for the troops and veterans, including holding regular closed-door meetings with rank and file soldiers and their families.
Those seconds and first were often overlooked.
Related:
Vet’s mom to Congress: Boost suicide prevention
Bolster mental health care for Iraq, Afghanistan veterans
VA urged to change policy on marijuana
They are forever young.
Meanwhile, Obama is handing out medals like a certain German dictator circa 1944.
“The veterans community has had no stronger advocate in Washington than Secretary Hagel,” said Paul Rieckhoff, chief executive of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
The premature departure of Hagel was clearly difficult for Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, who both served with Hagel on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee....
Obama told Hagel, “you’ve always given it to me straight.”
If so, why is he being forced out?
--more--"
So what could be the real reason Chuck was forced out?
Pennsylvania City to be Nuked Next Year
It's a scenario and event I haven't mentioned lately; however, it would certainly explain a lot more than official cover story.
Related:
16 military nuclear officers punished
Gambling nuclear commander linked to fake poker chips
He was asleep at the gaming table?
After blaze on nuclear sub, annual drills ordered
Pentagon studies reveal major nuclear infrastructure problems
Fire on the submarine qualifies, and what is it with the crap being produced by AmeriKa's weapons manufacturers these days?
And Chuck was taking care of such things?
"Hagel orders top-to-bottom changes in nuke force" by Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor | Associated Press November 15, 2014
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered top-to-bottom changes in the management of the nation’s nuclear arsenal Friday, saying a lack of sustained attention and investment in the force caused it to ‘‘slowly back downhill.’’
All those trillions....
Speaking to Pentagon reporters, he said the Defense Department will boost spending on the nuclear forces by about 10 percent a year for the next five years — an increase of nearly $10 billion — adding there is no problem on this issue the Pentagon can’t fix.
‘‘The internal and external reviews I ordered show that a consistent lack of investment and support for our nuclear forces over far too many years has left us with too little margin to cope with mounting stresses,’’ said Hagel, who was flanked by senior Air Force and Navy officers. ‘‘The root cause has been a lack of sustained focus, attention, and resources, resulting in a pervasive sense that a career in the nuclear enterprise offers too few opportunities for growth and advancement.’’
What does that mean? Gotta use some?
After the conference, Hagel flew to Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, where many of the nuclear force troubles began.
Related: Fargo, N.D. clinic wants rehearing on medication abortions
It's another kind of trouble caused by an explosion, and just as personal.
He received briefings and delivered a pep talk to a few hundred nuclear bomber and missile force members. Urging them to take pride in their jobs — an allusion to concern about lagging morale — he told the airmen, ‘‘You are an indispensable element of our national security.’’
And now he is leaving.
Hagel had ordered two reviews in February — one by Pentagon officials and a second by outside experts — as a result of a series of Associated Press stories that revealed lapses in leadership, morale, safety, and security at the nation’s three nuclear Air Force bases.
The good news, Hagel said, ‘‘is there has been no nuclear exchange in the world.’’
Yeah, and let's keep it that way forever, huh?!!
Acknowledging the years of neglect, which included glaring problems that prompted then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates to fire his top military and civilian Air Force leaders in 2008, Hagel vowed renewed accountability.
********
Hagel’s moves, while not dramatic, are designed to get at the core of the problem.
The reviews concluded that the structure of US nuclear forces is so incoherent that it cannot be properly managed in its current form and that this problem explains why top-level officials often are unaware of trouble.
That's frightening as hell.
The reviews found a ‘‘disconnect’’ between what nuclear force leaders say and what they deliver to lower-level troops.
Seems to happen across all AmeriKan institutions.
Among his more significant moves, Hagel authorized the Air Force to put a four-star general in charge of its nuclear forces, officials said.
Hagel also backed a proposal to upgrade the top nuclear force official at Air Force headquarters in the Pentagon from a two-star general to a three-star.
--more--"
Literally a band aid?
Congress should resume funding of Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site
Reid can no longer block it, or maybe he will.
Related(?): Hagel Said to Be Stepping Down as Defense Chief Under Pressure
Whatever the reasons, they are certainly not the official explanation or reason:
"Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel steps down; Some officials cite rifts with Obama" by Bryan Bender, Globe Staff November 24, 2014
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel resigned Monday after a two-year tenure that drew sharp criticism for the handling of the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and what Obama administration officials said was a loss of confidence in the only Republican in the Cabinet.
Chuck the first casualty of the election loss?
In a brief White House announcement that carried the pall of a political funeral, President Obama said it was “an appropriate time” for Hagel to resign.
I feel that way about the president, but be that as it may.
***************
Hagel is planning to remain at his post until his successor is nominated and confirmed by the Senate, a process that could take weeks if not months.
Then this story should be gone in a flash.
The shake-up comes as the Pentagon is confronting a series of major challenges, including the nearly four-month air campaign against the Islamic State, the response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Russia’s military foray into Ukraine, and a host of budget shortfalls.
Yeah, right. They get what they want, and sometimes Congress gives them even more.
On Monday, the Pentagon announced nine more airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria and 15 airstrikes across Iraq.
The announcement also came as Secretary of State John F. Kerry revealed a seven-month extension of negotiations with Iran about curbing its nuclear program....
Related:
No Deal With Iran
Wide gulf facing Iran nuclear talks
US proposes extending nuclear talks with Iran
Iran nuclear talks extended for another seven months
Even helping us fight ISIS.
In a message to the troops and civilian Pentagon workers, Hagel, 68, said he was proud of his accomplishments, citing efforts to prepare the government of Afghanistan to take over the fight against the Taliban and action against the Islamic State that has “blunted the momentum of this barbaric enemy.”
Well, no, but....
But it was clear that Hagel struggled to get his footing at the Pentagon and was widely considered ill-equipped to manage all the challenges.
And Israel pounded him during confirmation, remember?
They didn't like him being in the globalist (and wealthy sheik Arab) Atlantic Council.
“Hagel’s biggest problem was that he was temperamentally ill-suited to running a big and politically sensitive bureaucracy,” said Loren Thompson, a defense consultant with close ties to the Pentagon leadership. “You could see that from the beginning of his confirmation hearings when he did not answer questions well.”
Thompson also said some events quickly spun out of control, such as Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.
Hey, it's the fallout of mythical narratives and distortions.
Not everyone found fault with Hagel. Republicans, including some who voted against his confirmation two years ago, rushed to his defense.
“I know that Chuck was frustrated with aspects of the administration’s national security policy and decision-making process,” Senator John McCain of Arizona, who in January will become chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. He cited “excessive micro-management” from the White House as a hindrance to top military officials doing their jobs.
Hagel, who was the second enlisted soldier in modern times to become secretary of defense and the first Vietnam veteran, also drew especially high marks for his steadfast support for the troops and veterans, including holding regular closed-door meetings with rank and file soldiers and their families.
Those seconds and first were often overlooked.
Related:
Vet’s mom to Congress: Boost suicide prevention
Bolster mental health care for Iraq, Afghanistan veterans
VA urged to change policy on marijuana
They are forever young.
Meanwhile, Obama is handing out medals like a certain German dictator circa 1944.
“The veterans community has had no stronger advocate in Washington than Secretary Hagel,” said Paul Rieckhoff, chief executive of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
The premature departure of Hagel was clearly difficult for Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, who both served with Hagel on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee....
Obama told Hagel, “you’ve always given it to me straight.”
If so, why is he being forced out?
--more--"
So what could be the real reason Chuck was forced out?
Pennsylvania City to be Nuked Next Year
It's a scenario and event I haven't mentioned lately; however, it would certainly explain a lot more than official cover story.
Related:
16 military nuclear officers punished
Gambling nuclear commander linked to fake poker chips
He was asleep at the gaming table?
After blaze on nuclear sub, annual drills ordered
Pentagon studies reveal major nuclear infrastructure problems
Fire on the submarine qualifies, and what is it with the crap being produced by AmeriKa's weapons manufacturers these days?
And Chuck was taking care of such things?
"Hagel orders top-to-bottom changes in nuke force" by Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor | Associated Press November 15, 2014
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered top-to-bottom changes in the management of the nation’s nuclear arsenal Friday, saying a lack of sustained attention and investment in the force caused it to ‘‘slowly back downhill.’’
All those trillions....
Speaking to Pentagon reporters, he said the Defense Department will boost spending on the nuclear forces by about 10 percent a year for the next five years — an increase of nearly $10 billion — adding there is no problem on this issue the Pentagon can’t fix.
‘‘The internal and external reviews I ordered show that a consistent lack of investment and support for our nuclear forces over far too many years has left us with too little margin to cope with mounting stresses,’’ said Hagel, who was flanked by senior Air Force and Navy officers. ‘‘The root cause has been a lack of sustained focus, attention, and resources, resulting in a pervasive sense that a career in the nuclear enterprise offers too few opportunities for growth and advancement.’’
What does that mean? Gotta use some?
After the conference, Hagel flew to Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, where many of the nuclear force troubles began.
Related: Fargo, N.D. clinic wants rehearing on medication abortions
It's another kind of trouble caused by an explosion, and just as personal.
He received briefings and delivered a pep talk to a few hundred nuclear bomber and missile force members. Urging them to take pride in their jobs — an allusion to concern about lagging morale — he told the airmen, ‘‘You are an indispensable element of our national security.’’
And now he is leaving.
Hagel had ordered two reviews in February — one by Pentagon officials and a second by outside experts — as a result of a series of Associated Press stories that revealed lapses in leadership, morale, safety, and security at the nation’s three nuclear Air Force bases.
The good news, Hagel said, ‘‘is there has been no nuclear exchange in the world.’’
Yeah, and let's keep it that way forever, huh?!!
Acknowledging the years of neglect, which included glaring problems that prompted then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates to fire his top military and civilian Air Force leaders in 2008, Hagel vowed renewed accountability.
********
Hagel’s moves, while not dramatic, are designed to get at the core of the problem.
The reviews concluded that the structure of US nuclear forces is so incoherent that it cannot be properly managed in its current form and that this problem explains why top-level officials often are unaware of trouble.
That's frightening as hell.
The reviews found a ‘‘disconnect’’ between what nuclear force leaders say and what they deliver to lower-level troops.
Seems to happen across all AmeriKan institutions.
Among his more significant moves, Hagel authorized the Air Force to put a four-star general in charge of its nuclear forces, officials said.
Hagel also backed a proposal to upgrade the top nuclear force official at Air Force headquarters in the Pentagon from a two-star general to a three-star.
--more--"
Literally a band aid?
Congress should resume funding of Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site
Reid can no longer block it, or maybe he will.
