The announcement, calling for reduced US reliance on its nuclear deterrent, could build momentum before Obama signs a landmark arms control treaty with Russia in Prague on Thursday and hosts a nuclear security summit in Washington next week. But Obama's revamped strategy is likely to draw criticism from conservatives who say his approach could compromise US national security and disappoint liberals who wanted the president to go further on arms control.
The long-delayed nuclear policy statement could also deepen US strains with China by expressing concern about Beijing's military buildup, including growing nuclear might. "We are taking specific and concrete steps to reduce the role of nuclear weapons while preserving our military superiority, deterring aggression and safeguarding the security of the American people," Obama said in remarks issued by the White House.
The United States for the first time is forswearing use of atomic weapons against non-nuclear countries, a break with a Bush-era threat of nuclear retaliation in the event of a biological or chemical attack. But this comes with a major condition. Those countries would be spared a US nuclear response only if they are in compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran and North Korea would thus not be protected.
"If there is a message for Iran and North Korea here, it is ... if you're not going to play by the rules, if you're going to be a proliferator, then all options are on the table in terms of how we deal with you," US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told reporters.
THREAT OF NUCLEAR ATTACK The Nuclear Posture Review, as the policy document is known, stated: "The threat of global nuclear war has become remote, but the risk of nuclear attack has increased."
The NPR is required by Congress from every US administration but Obama set expectations high after he vowed to end "Cold War thinking" and won the Nobel Peace Prize in part for his vision of a nuclear-free world. Seeking to set an example, the Obama administration said the United States would consider use of nuclear weapons only in "extreme circumstances" and committed to not developing any new nuclear warheads.
But it said that while reducing the role of nuclear weapons in national security, the United States would strengthen its conventional arsenal. The administration also pledged to pursue further arms control with Russia beyond the new START pact Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will sign this week in Prague, in which they promise to slash nuclear arsenals by a third.
"The United States will pursue high-level, bilateral dialogues on strategic stability with both Russia and China which are aimed at fostering more stable, resilient, and transparent strategic relationships," it said. But the Obama administration said a lack of transparency surrounding China's nuclear programs was cause for concern over Beijing's strategic intentions.
OBAMA TO MEET HU The White House said Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao would meet on the sidelines of the 47-country nuclear summit in Washington on April 12-13. That would also be a chance to ease tensions over other issues, including a dispute over the valuation of China's currency.