CENTER RELEASES IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE CONFERNCE VERSION OF THE FY 2013 NDAA
Washington DC – December 20, 2012 – New Release – The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation has released an in-depth analysis of the Conference Report of the Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.
“While the NDAA covers a broad spectrum of national security issues, the House version raised some serious concern for the future of nuclear weapons and non-proliferation programs,” said John Isaacs, Executive Director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “Fortunately, the conferees watered down or eliminated many of the objectionable nuclear provisions including limitations on the implementation of the New START treaty.”
The conference version would call for further sanctions on Iran’s energy sector per the Menendez-Kirk Amendment that passed the Senate. “Despite objections from the Administration, the language remained largely intact but did provide greater flexibility in the timeline of implementation,” said Laicie Heeley, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “Many, including some in the Administration, fear that increased sanctions mandated by Congress could limit the ability of the Administration to secure a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear aspirations.”
The concept of an East Coast Missile Defense site was not quashed by the report, as the conferees required a study of three possible additional missile defense sites in the United States. However, the conferees did reject the House’s plan for deployment by 2015.
On a December 10th press call, Phillip Coyle, former Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs in the Obama White House’s Office of Science and Technology and current Senior Science Fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said: “The National Academy has found fault with nearly every aspect of current national missile defense programs…you have to fix what’s broken first,” Mr. Coyle said. “It’s like worrying whether you have enough sweaters when your pants are falling down.”
Additionally, the conference version would authorize funds to complete the design of a new plutonium facility at Los Alamos; the bill does not authorize construction funds. “The authorization of funds for the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility (CMRR-NF) goes against the wishes of Congressional appropriators and the Administration who believe the country’s essential plutonium mission can be performed at a lower cost by utilizing the existing complex,” said Kingston Reif, Director of Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
To view the complete analysis, visit here; the analysis also includes a detailed study of the pre-conference House and Senate versions of the bill.
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The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is a Washington-based non-profit think tank working to reduce the number of nuclear weapons stockpiled across the globe, increase international nonproliferation programs targeted at preventing the further proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism, redirect U.S. military spending to address 21st century security threats and halt the proliferation of biological and chemical weapons. www.armscontrolcenter.org
