Nuclear Weapons: Can They Be Made Strategically Obsolete? –
Analysis  Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel answers questions
during a confirmation hearing in the Senate Armed Service
Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington
D.C., Jan. 31, 2013. Hagel, if confirmed, will become the 24th
defense secretary. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo   February
13, 2013  By Debak Das  With U.S. President Barack Obama’s
second term in office and the possible appointment of Chuck
Hagel as his Secretary of Defence, there is a widespread belief
in the possibility of the movement for nuclear disarmament
receiving a fillip. The President’s commitment to the cause
notwithstanding, there are numerous issues that plague the issue
of nuclear disarmament.  Can nuclear disarmament be pursued
given the large asymmetries in conventional arms of nuclear
states? Can nuclear weapons be made strategically obsolete?
Asymmetric Forces: Is Simultaneous Global Conventional Arms De-
escalation Possible?  Until all countries multi