Senator John McCain, the presumptive
Republican presidential nominee, said Tuesday that he will look to reduce the
size of the US nuclear weapons fleet if he wins the White House.
McCain pledged to pursue negotiations with China and Russia on
agreements to cut nuclear stockpiles, but said he would also seek a smaller US
force while preserving national security.
"I will seek to reduce the size of our nuclear arsenal to the lowest
number possible consistent with our security requirements and global
commitments," McCain said at the University of Denver in Colorado.
"Today we deploy thousands of nuclear warheads. It is my hope to move as
rapidly as possible to a significantly smaller force," McCain said.
McCain said he would not support any plans to develop an earth- penetrating,
bunker-busting nuclear bomb, saying the concept "does not make strategic
or political sense."
The Bush administration has pursued the technology, only to have Congress strip
the funding.
McCain also said the United States should strengthen international treaties on
non-proliferation efforts and work closely with allies to prevent the spread of
dangerous nuclear technology.
"We cannot achieve our non-proliferation goals on our
own," McCain said, according to dpa.