WASHINGTON (voa) – U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the Bush administration is committed to cutting the U.S. nuclear arsenal, but he said Mr. Bush needs a full range of options to deter enemies.
Secretary Powell testified Tuesday before a Senate appropriations subcommittee.
Many of the questions concerned a leaked U.S. military paper in which the Pentagon reportedly says there is a need to build new low-yield battlefield nuclear weapons to destroy underground bunkers that store biological, chemical or nuclear weapons.
Major U.S. newspapers have reported that the document says countries believed to be developing such weapons of mass destruction could be targeted for attack, including Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Libya.
Secretary Powell flatly denied the United States is revising its policy to make the use of nuclear weapons more likely.
He said the United States is relying more on conventional weapons as the Bush administration looks to make further nuclear arms cuts.
But Secretary Powell said it is prudent and makes common sense for the United States to factor new potential users of weapons of mass destruction into its targeting strategy.
He said it us not a bad thing for these nations to know that President Bush has what he called a full range of options for the defense of the United States.
